Saotome Naruto
by Godai
Summary: Naruto is adopted at the age of five by Saotome Ranma. Complete summary inside
1. chapter 1

I know my other fic is not over but this idea kept popping into my head and I had to write it down.  
  
I do not own Naruto or Ranma. This is an alterverse so the general storyline isn't even mine. Naruto will be OOC because his upbringing will be different.  
  
Summary: When the demon fox is sealed, the fourth Hokage wanted the child to be a hero of the village but the same child was an outcaste before he even started living. An outsider asks for sanctuary one day and asks to take care of the youth. The man is called Ranma.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
A man was running for his life in a forest. He had speed on his side as well as several techniques to save himself. If he had done something wrong he would have simply surrendered but he knew his camping in a forest could not be against the law. The men had called him a missing nin and when he asked what that was, they attacked. They had headband of metallic structure with a symbole of some sort. He had seen old ninja movies where they whore those but nothing really surprised him anymore. So he did what he thought best in a situation where you don't want to kill people. You run until you think of something.  
  
He cursed the old woman and her mirror for the 15 th time in the same week. She wanted to get it from Happosai and sent her son-in-law to do it for her. The old pervert had already used a teak when Ranma touched the Nabban mirror reconstituted. Now Because of the various mistakes made by the pervert. Instead of going to the past, he had ended up in this different world.  
  
This chase had a good side to it. Those ninjas with masks had a lot of good techniques that he could duplicate. Another good thing about this world was the loss of his cursed for which was a good riddance. Most of the techniques the ninjas had used on him were catalogued and he wanted it to end. Tired and hungry he unsealed the Umi-sen-ken, the sea of a thousand fists, and cloaked himself to get to the nearest agglomeration.  
  
It was easy to get to the nearest group of homes has the ki put out by every individual in a large group was easily located. He ran the way he detected this village or town and found the gates of the Konoha. He uncloaked himself in the forest and approached the gate.  
  
"Oi, open up will ya! I've been looking for a place to sleep all night and I want ta find a hotel or something like that!"  
  
"What's your name and where are you from?" replied a female sentry.  
  
"I'm Saotome Ranma, I come from nowhere really. I've been in the woods since I could walk. The place I stayed the longest was Nerima and that was the fault of my old man. Can I go up, I'm tired of shouting."  
  
"If you can.jump."  
  
The second Ranma had heard the 'if' he had taken to the air and landed in front of the guard.  
  
Hikari was a chunin, she had been given guard duty until she could take command of a patrol of gennin. She was now confronted to an unknown, a man who bore no identification of a ninja and yet could jump up the wall. He may have been a missing nin or an invader but she was a female teenager. A young chunin and inexperienced, she had only one thought.  
  
'He is CUTE'  
  
"How.how."  
  
"I'm a martial artist, a master of a school of Kempo called the Saotome Anything Goes Martial Arts. I have been trained in it since before I could even walk. My pops got me into the woods ta train me harder and I can do things that make whatever those weird ninjas did out there weak when I put my mind into it."  
  
"An intruder!" She pointed her kunai to his throat and he lifted his hands in the air."  
  
"What is it with everyone here, won't anybody listen!"  
  
"The ninjas chasing you were a patrol of which village, are you a missing nin? Tell me all you know."  
  
A man walked in on the scene, he was older and from the perspective of Ranma he was one of the strongest auras here.  
  
"Hokage-sama!"  
  
She didn't drop her guard but it was kind of stupid to keep a man with a kunai when your kunai was missing.  
  
"You the mayor or something old man, I really need to talk to someone who won't attack on sight."  
  
"I'm the Hokage, leader of the Konoha, if you and Hikari would follow me I believe we may be able to do something. Give her back her kunai please."  
  
"But my guard duty?"  
  
The Hokage shrugged and gestured towards the street.  
  
"Shift over in 30 seconds, Tenchi is coming this way already. Please follow me."  
  
Ranma handed the bladed weapon to the Kunoichi and followed the old man with his guardian in tow. She was a little miffed at the way he was treating the Hokage. When they got to his house, Ranma related his whole story to the aged leader of the village.  
  
"So you are of another world you say."  
  
"Yes, I'm stuck here too unless you know a gizmo that can get me back home."  
  
"Sorry" The hokage shook his head "I know of no way or items with that power that could do so unless it is a forbidden technique, and even then the user of the technique would most probably die if they tried. Dimentionnal travel usually ends that way."  
  
Ranma sighed and bowed his head.  
  
"I better find a place to live then, this place doesn't look that bad but I believe I may not be that welcomed."  
  
He looked at Hikari who still held a weapon, this time it was a Kodachi still in it's sheath.  
  
"Don't mind Hikari, she takes her task seriously and she probably thinks of herself as my bodyguard right now." The Hokage chuckled "I believe you may be able to stay here if you live with a ninja of chunin level for a six months of probation. If you wish to become a ninja of the village it could be arranged for you to be tutored in the ways of the village. Then with a little training you'd be up to par with the chunin."  
  
Ranma smiled as the offer appealed to him, if he was to live in this world he would need to get an occupation and ninja was near enough to martial artist for him to consider it.  
  
"I think I'll take your offer, where am I gonna stay?"  
  
"Well I was."  
  
"I'm volunteering for this Hokage-sama!"  
  
"I was thinking of sending him with the Uchiha family but.very well, he's under your jurisdiction chunin Akira, He is to be given full freedom and you have to give him a overview of life in Konoha. Until the six months are over all of your missions are suspended unless he comes with you."  
  
"That won't be a problem, I'm the best and fighting is my game."  
  
The Hokage evaluated him a second, he felt the unbelievable chakra in him, very well contained and mastered. It was on a level of mastery only seen in a kage or one of those 'three ninjas'. He nooded and looked at Ranma again. The teen had felt the probe and let it be.  
  
"What you felt was the tip of the iceberg. The story's too long to tell in one shot. I'll come back if ya want to hear it all."  
  
"Very well, you may leave and participate in missions as an onlooker, your training is far above the one of the others until you get full ninja approval."  
  
"Better than nothing I suppose, let's get going shall we."  
  
"Yes, follow me."  
  
They took to the rooftops for her house. She was one of those orphaned during the attack of the fox demon, she was considered a genius by some, being a chunin so young and getting closer to the jounin level. She lived alone and Ranma didn't ask why yet. They spent their time from then on getting to know one another. They spent the entirety of their time together while Ranma learned what little he didn't know which wasn't veryt much. In a week he had his ninja certificate and genin level until the next exam where he'd be given a special solo licence since he didn't have a team. Then came the missions where he didn't take his background role very well. He had the habit of taking every challenge head on and got himself a job as a tutor for chakra control and applications when he wasn't on missions. In the six months of his probation and the passage to chunin level, he became the talk of the village which also meant Hikari was the talk of the town since he lived with her. He continued training and improving, his reluctances to hit girls was beaten out of him with great force and she improved as much as he did. They ended up as members of the anbu, the elite ninjas of the village. A year later, Saotome Ranma and Akira Hikari were married another two years after that, they had a daughter they called Moegi.  
  
It was that same year Ranma encountered the 4 years old Naruto who was in the process of pulling a prank.  
  
"Hey kid! What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm gonna make a hole on this wall and make adults pay to peep on the women bathing here!"  
  
"That's nice, now what's your name and the ones of your parents?"  
  
"I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm all alone."  
  
He said it like he was proud but Ranma could hear the sadness there.  
  
"That's sad kid, your parents must have died in the attack of the nine tails demon fox. Who takes care of you? You're a little young not to have a care giver"  
  
"I have one, she just doesn't care, no one does. They won't acknowledge my existence!"  
  
"Well kid, I acknowledge you but peeking in the women isn't a good idea. If you want people to know you for yourself you should become stronger. Maybe the strongest of them all."  
  
Naruto was looking at the stranger now, he didn't act the same way the others did and he didn't turn away from him like he was some sort of decease. He was acknowledged!  
  
"How can I do that mister?"  
  
"There's no shortcut to becoming stronger, you need to work for it. To train and study." Here Ranma shuddered in unison with Naruto. "Even if you don't like it."  
  
"I'll do that mister, thanks for the tip. What's your name?"  
  
"I'm Ranma, Saotome Ranma. Well, see ya Naruto. Take care."  
  
Ranma knew the kid followed him, he didn't really mind since he was probably just curious. He got home and kissed his wife who was on a leave for duty.  
  
"You were followed dear. Who did it this time? Asuka? Sakura or was it one of the young kunoichi of the academy."  
  
"Well, it's an orphan who was trying to play a prank at the bath house. He's called Naruto."  
  
His wife froze a second at the name. She sighed and dragged her ignorant husband who didn't know better inside and told him about the seal.  
  
"You mean he's the.and it's forbidden to talk about it."  
  
"Yes, the demon is countained inside him but he doesn't know. He has a caretaker but they can't stand to stay with him."  
  
"You don't think like that do you dear?"  
  
"I.I'm sorry Ranma but.even if I feel kind of sorry for him the fox did kill my parents and.it's hard not to think that it's the kid who.countains the beast.I'm sorry."  
  
"Hey! Don't worry about this! As long as you don't want to kill him or nothing it's okay. You know what? He's still around, I'll get him to spend supper with us and you'll see he isn't a demon."  
  
For some reason the supper went quite well. Naruto was fascinated with Moegi when she decided she wanted some attention and the little laughed at his antics. Even Hikari couldn't help but like the hyperactive child with facial features of a fox. At the end of the supper she was ready to adopt the boy as her own.  
  
Naruto was about to leave after the greatest night of his life when Ranma stopped him.  
  
"Leaving already kid?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm late for curfew again and I'm expecting a punishment for it again."  
  
"Well, I've got a proposition for you."  
  
"Eh, what is it mister?"  
  
"You see, my wife told me your caretakers up until now don't want to stay am I right?"  
  
"Yeah, they just don't care so they leave the second they can."  
  
"Well, how about you live with us. My wife seems to have taken a liking to you and Moegi would need a big brother to protect her from the boys when she gets older. I also like you a lot. You remind me of myself sometimes. I want to train you in my family martial art. So what do you say?"  
  
Naruto had stars in his eyes, he would have a family, a father and mother figure as well as a little sister to protect. He started sobbing and could only nod and hug his new father.  
  
The next day it was a surprised Hokage that made Uzumaki Naruto into Saotome Naruto. It was a good but unexpected surprise.  
  
From then on, Naruto trained with Ranma and Hikari when they were at his disposition. He took care of Moegi from time to time and had a joyous childhood without forgetting his goal: to become the best of the best. He started going to school and got to know a teacher there who had been in his mother's genin team. Iruka sensei became his fourth favourite person in the world after his family. Most people still shunned him for an unknown reason. Which takes us to the ninja academy where he finaly was in his terminal class. All of the teachers except Iruka-sensei gave him barely passing marks in classes. His father said they were simply unfair because they didn't understand him. He was unlucky the final exam was different. It would be a show of skill in front of the whole teachers board. It was his third try and he was perfect each time and they still put him off for administrative reasons.  
  
He didn't complain too much though. He wanted to see Sakura-chan in class even if Sasuke had to be there.  
  
Thus, on the next to last day of school, Naruto was in high spirits as he left his house.  
  
He sat down at his usual place and waited for Sakura to come in. He was right next to Hinata. Sakura looked around the room when she got in. Ino was sitting there, right next to Sasuke.  
  
'Damn Ino pig! I'm stuck next to Naruto now!'  
  
For some reason, the blonde ninja was on her bad side. He wasn't that bad but something about him just seemed off. He couldn't be that bad but when the teachers corrected him on his jutsu he was almost as good as Sasuke and still got dead last. She sat next to him and ignored his beckoning. She stared at the back of Sasuke's head dreamily. Naruto looked between the two for a second. Then at the female population of the class who were imitating her except for Hinata who was staring at him with her face as flushed as usual. He tapped on Sasuke's shoulder and looked at him in the eyes.  
  
A staring contest insued until Chouji decided he wanted to get rid of his snack. It ended up hitting Naruto on his head and he lost his equilibrium. He reacted by instinct. His weight shifted, his hands moved to take support for his movement and he gave a boost to insure he would not end up in a compromising position. He ended up clinging to the seiling above the eyes of his amazed classmates. Ranma came in and sat at the teacher's desk.  
  
"Naruto, get down from there. You know it's hell to clean up."  
  
"Hai sensei, it was an accident."  
  
He got back to his place while most students looked at him.  
  
"Now children, I am here as a substitute to Iruka-sensei for the day. I am Saotome Ranma but call me sensei. We will be working on sparing today. We all go outside for a workout."  
  
The class was abuzz now, they were rarely fighting for training. Only when they studied taijutsu and the substitute was talking about one of the favourite activities of most of the class. They followed to the sparring ring out of the school where Ranma called them one after another.  
  
"I'll be the opponent of the first match, then we'll do a tournament. All techniques and jutsu are permitted unless it is mortal. Be aware you will most likely not beat me."  
  
The matches started and the students got their buts kicked thoroughly. Ranma seemed to follow the order of grades except for Naruto who was being ignored. Kiba was the one who lasted the longest with his dog helping him. Ranma got them out of the ring in 30 seconds instead of the usual 15. Then came Shikamaru who almost beat him with his shadow manipulation technique but he was the one closer to the rim of the ring and fell off first. Then Ranma called Sasuke before Naruto which, the ladies agreed, was wrong.  
  
"Sensei, Sasuke is the best of the class, you seem to be following the listing by grades and yet you call him before Naruto, why is that?"  
  
"I have my reasons but you'll see miss Ino. Sasuke, front and center. Naruto, you're the referee for this match."  
  
"Hai sensei! Are you both ready?...BEGIN!"  
  
Sasuke moved as fast as he could, he had studied his quarry the whole time but to fight against him was different then he had anticipated. He seemed to go faster then against the others. He had not once used a jutsu and yet he was winning against them one after another. This man was probably an anbu or something. Sasuke unleashed his technique.  
  
"Katon Housenka no Jutsu!"  
  
It hit Ranma head on but when the flames dispersed Ranma was sucking the heat out of the air with his soul of ice technique. He then blurred and pushed Sasuke out of the combat arena.  
  
"Very good Mr. Uchiha. You have a powerfull technique there but you must use it well like the others you most likely know. It was a good try but the mistake you made was to believe it was enough to take me down, had you moved after releasing the technique you would have lasted a couple of seconds longer. You did a good job though."  
  
Sasuke acknowledged the comment and replayed the whole fight in his head play by play in a flash.  
  
"Alright, Naruto. Your turn to get your but handed to you son."  
  
"You know very well I'll win oyagi, just make sure to give them a good show."  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure about that son. Miss Haruno, If you'd please be the judge. This match is until submission or unconsciousness. Leaving the ring willingly or not is an abandon."  
  
"Ready.BEGIN!"  
  
Sasuke looked at the ring once again, both fighters seemed to stick to taijutsu with only the basic Kawarimi being used with constancy. They punched, kicked blocked in a frenzy of movements. Ranma was the first one to land a solid blow that sent Naruto flying. He seized the border of the ringside without touching the ground and flew back into the teacher to get back to it in earnest. Naruto was the first one to call a serious jutsu.  
  
"Kanashibari no jutsu!"  
  
Ranma countered the advanced technique with the same cry. They both cancelled each other and went back to hitting each other until the stepped to the edge of the ring, Naruto breathing hard and Ranma sweating lightly. 30 seconds into the fight and Naruto had done more then the others.  
  
"Lets finish this now Naruto! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"  
  
"Got ya pops! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH"  
  
They gathered their ki in their hands. Forming balls of energy and sent them forward. Naruto was sent back from the resulting wind while Ranma stayed standing.  
  
Naruto was the only one who had stayed up 45 seconds. Sasuke had done a 30 seconds.  
  
"I believe you had restraints about Naruto Miss Ino. I had a good reason to keep him last. Saotome Naruto is my son and he is my student as well. Like many of you receive training from their family. Had we fought first thing it would have been unjust for all of you since he knows my basic fighting style. Also, he lasted longer than all of you not because he is better but because he does this dayly."  
  
"Hey! I'll have you know I'm as good as they come!"  
  
Naruto didn't know it but he was in a rather dangerous position. He had landed on Sakura and didn't know he was laying on her.  
  
"Get off me Naruto, then take your punishment like a man and die."  
  
"Sa.Sakura-chan.it's an accident and errr."  
  
He tried to get up but took support on the wrong place. Sakura's left breast. Both of them froze as the inner Sakura screamed for bloody murder, the outer Sakura did exactly the same as Naruto unknowingly used the crouch of the wild tiger to hope to survive the second he was off her. Ranma couldn't help but chuckle a little bit in the background. He reminded him of himself at 16 with Akane before he ended up in this world. Hikari was better with her temper but he didn't dare think about the consequences if he ever thought about another woman.  
  
Naruto was getting beaten up but was saved by his father.  
  
We'll begin our tournament now. Miss Haruno you're up against Miss Hyuga in the first round.  
  
The matches started but the tournament was interrupted by the end of the classes. Ranma stopped the ongoing fight between Hinata and Ino before it started and simply left.  
  
"So.that was your father Naruto?"  
  
Sakura was talking to him.  
  
"Yeah, he adopted me when I was young. Why?"  
  
"Then if you can fight that way, why did you flunk out three times Naruto?"  
  
"I don't know, except for Iruka-sensei they treat me harshly and barely give me passing grades when I do the techniques perfectly. It's like everyone."  
  
She looked at him questioningly. His battle had aroused some interrogations within her. Naruto wasn't as cool as Sasuke but he was still as strong as him. Or maybe even stronger. If he held back like they most likely all did. Ther was no sense in giving too much information to the other just in case they had to fight.  
  
"Everyone looks at me weirdly, they try to do like I don't exist but I do! That's why I train hard to become stronger and be the next Hokage. I'll make sure everyone in the village knows Saotome Naruto!"  
  
She realized he was somewhat right. People on the street changed walkway when he passed sometimes, some went as far as to tell him to stay away. She realized that the children did the same as he had played by himself most of the time except when his little sister, Moegi and her friends arrived. From then on he had been surrounded by the younger classmen in school had always been around him and bullies inexplicably went around the group to stay in the back.  
  
'No, not inexplicably, Naruto didn't tolerate them and they ran from him all the time for some reason.'  
  
She had been saved by him once when people still teased her about her forehead. He had walked by going to his training and simply said "Run now!" which was immediately obeyed. Those guys never made it to the genin level and were most likely scrubbing some floor somewhere in the village now. It was at that moment that he became her unofficial bodyguard. It seemed that every time someone was teasing her he would know and appear to stop them. It was when Ino gave her the ribbon she wears and they stopped teasing her that he stopped appearing. He did see her but he simply said hello and left. Then started her crush on Sasuke and she completely forgot about Naruto until he ended up in her classes in the Ninja Academy despite him being older. She had thought he was sort of stupid but now she understood a part of it. He was ignored by most people. Adults and children included, for a stupid and unknown reason.  
  
"Hey Naruto! How about you walk with me home?"  
  
He turned around after he took his pack and looked at her with his eyes opened instead of their normal lines.  
  
"Hai!"  
  
Ino was thinking that Sakura had a screw loose while she walked away with Shikamaru in tow. Hinata sighed as he left and did the same while Sasuke decided to follow him to see the training sessions between Naruto and Ranma.  
  
When they left the school, Sakura really understood what Naruto meant. People were pointing at him and some of them pointed at her. A trio of children ran their way. One of them had a long scarf while all three of them had goggles like Naruto. The girl with the twin pigtails jumped into Naruto's arms. Sakura recognised Moegi at the first look. She was just as hyper as her brother and the second eldest child of the Saotome.  
  
"Oni-chan, is she your girlfriend?"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"No Moegi-chan, this is Sakura. You remember the girl who was teased because they were dumber then her."  
  
"Yeah, now I remember! She's the one you have a crush on."  
  
At this point Naruto blushed a bit and turned to Sakura.  
  
"He he he, the kids these days, they have such weird ideas!"  
  
"But you're the one who Murgleelelel!"  
  
He whispered in her ear a second only to look at Sakura.  
  
"She's such a kidder that sister of mine, come on, your parents will be waiting for you!"  
  
He almost ran away from his sister and her friends dragging Sakura by the hand. There was nothing behind it but it gave people the wrong idea.  
  
"Slow down Naruto! I don't know what makes you run from your sister but slow down a little!"  
  
"Oups! Sorry Sakura-chan, my sister is sort of annoying. She's persuaded I have a girlfriend and when she saw us walking together she just assumed we were.well, here we are. I'll see you tomorrow before the test alright?"  
  
"Okay, see ya Naruto."  
  
She went inside to find her parents looking at her.  
  
"Tadaima!"  
  
"What were you doing with this boy Sakura?"  
  
Her mother was obviously displeased with this particular frequentation. Just like the other adults.  
  
'I'll get some answers here'  
  
"We are in the same classes and he's nice, why, is there something I should know about him?"  
  
Now her parents were nervous, neither of them were know to be particularly strong ninjas. Her father was a tactical mastermind and her mother a mountain of knowledge but they were administrative ninjas. Chunin because they had the brains for it. In normal settings they may have been able to hide their surprise and their knowledge but Sakura had inherited their combined mental capabilities and knew what to look for when she needed to know something.  
  
"Maybe there is but we cannot tell you, even telling you we can't could be against the rule of silence. Just try to stay away from him."  
  
Her father was the fastest to regain his footing and he left the room to not be subjected to an interrogation.  
  
"Dear, please, your father is right. This boy is not a good frequentation. You could have a better choice in a boyfriend."  
  
Sakura laughed, hard and long. Her mother was looking at her but when she calmed down she explained.  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you okasan but he's just a classmate, not my boyfriend. He's nice enough but not that nice."  
  
'Hell Ya! Only Sasuke is nice enough!'  
  
Inner Sakura manifested herself with conviction.  
  
"I suppose.well, you're almost old enough to go on missions so I guess I can trust you about that."  
  
"Thanks Okasan! I'm going to study a while."  
  
We return to Naruto.  
  
Once he had passed a couple of blocks, Naruto stopped and turned to the nearest tree.  
  
"Oi, Sasuke, get down from there. If you wanted to walk with us you should have said it!"  
  
Sasuke was surprised again by Naruto. The dead last of the class was able to sense him with accuracy. He jumped down from his position and walked up to the blonde.  
  
"You wanted to see how I train right?"  
  
"I'm curious, yes. You're better then your grades tell."  
  
"Thanks, follow me then. With Sakura here I couldn't take to the roofs."  
  
They ran across the rooftops towards the Saotome home. The copy of the Tendo home and dojo made by Ranma came into view.  
  
Before they even reached the compound Naruto jumped into the air and engaged Ranma in combat. Sasuke was once again witness of a battle but this time Naruto pushed himself harder while Ranma-sensei held back to build up more skills and make the lesson more worthwhile. It took ten minutes for the fight to escalate to using Jutsus. They used high level skills to try to incapacitate the other only to counter one another. The battle ended when Ranma pushed a pressure point that paralised Naruto.  
  
"So, I see you followed Naruto here Sasuke. Want to have another go at it?"  
  
Sasuke grinned. He understood he was out of his league by a lot but it was one of the best ways to improve. He didn't give warning when he attacked. Ranma was prepared and sparing resumed. They fought for about ten minutes until Ranma finished it with the same paralysing point.  
  
"Well, now you know the pressure point at least. If not more."  
  
He released the point and was immediately attacked by Naruto. This time it was Ranma who ended up paralysed. A smiling Naruto freed Sasuke who attacked Naruto in the same fashion. For some reason, he really wanted to beat this blonde into a pulp. He reached the same pressure point and grinned when both of the Soatome were stuck in a particularly painfull position.  
  
"I seem to have won."  
  
"Good job both of you, now free us Sasuke. My wife will kill me if I'm late."  
  
Ranma was right, the sun was about to set and the training session had taken a full hour. He found the nerve cluster to release the block and got ready to leave.  
  
"Hey kid? How about you come and train with us again someday. Naruto needs a sparing partner at his level."  
  
Sasuke grinned as he left. It was unexpected to find a good opponent in Naruto but he wouldn't argue if he could get closer to his goal.  
  
'Someday, I'll be strong enough to kill you brother.'  
  
Diner that night was a quiet affair. Even the three younger Saotome were silent sensing that something important would happen this night. Hikari took the dishes and when Naruto moved to help her as he usually did Ranma stopped him.  
  
"Not tonight son, we are going in the woods to have a little talk. We need some privacy for that."  
  
An hour later they stood in a clearing in the forest. It was where Ranma had used the Umi-sen-ken to escape the hunter-nin all those years ago. He dropped into the lotus position and was followed by Naruto.  
  
"Son, tomorrow you'll pass your test and become a genin. Had the teacher not been Iruka I would have talked to the Hokage about it but he'll judge you justly. After that you'll be going on missions."  
  
"Alright! Finally! I'll be a ninja!"  
  
"Yes son but that was not the reason we had to talk."  
  
"What was it then Oyagi?"  
  
Ranma sighed. He had informed the Hokage of his intentions and the man reluctantly accepted what he was about to do. He told him the whole unaltered thruth about him.  
  
"So, I'm carrying the fox demon or am I the fox demon? Did you just take pity on me or maybe you were ordered to take me in?"  
  
"None of that son. You carry the seal and yes, maybe you also carry the fox demon but you are surely not a demon. A demon would have destroyed those in it's way. You protect others by using strength but you never killed or even maimed anyone. When I met you, I didn't even know about the demon inside of you. I did feel kind of sorry because no one cared but if I hadn't I would have been lower then the one who knew yet did nothing. Hikari adopted you in full knowledge that the demon is sealed inside of you son. She doesn't love you any less. Never assume you are a demon or people who help you have pity for you all the time. You were a kid back then. Tomorrow you'll be a man. However, unless you absolutely need to say it, never tell anyone what I told you tonight. There is a rule in the village, a cruel and useless rule to me but it's better then the alternative. The fourth, when he sealed away the demon, wanted you to be seen as a hero of the village. The grieving villagers saw you as the demon itself instead as the one who saved them. This belief made them ignore your existence. I had to fight to get you into the academy and almost decided to train you at home for a year and send you to the exam with the Hokage as withness. Their behaviour also passed down to their children as they thought of you as someone to be ignored."  
  
"I see.so I that's why they all."  
  
"Don't worry son, you are still you. Whatever they think is wrong, you are being slowly acknowledged. I saw it today. There's Hinata who seems to be quite interested in you, there's Sakura even if she shouts at you she still acknowledges your existence. Then there's Sasuke, he may not have done so before but he does now. Your whole family does as well. Your sister and brothers look up to you as a model. Your mother and I are proud of you Naruto. You are Saotome Naruto! Not some dumb demon of death and destruction! You may want to think about all this but remember that we love you son."  
  
Naruto was crying, it was only tears, not sobs but there was a lot to think about. He took a minute to calm down enough to regain his bearings and thought. Ranma had left the scene but that was normal for him. Naruto got up and turned around as he felt someone behind him. He caught the Shuriken thrown at him and took a battle stance. The large Throwing star was held low and he awaited the next move of his invisible foe. He caught a second object thrown at him.  
  
"Well well well! I stole that scroll and learned nothing of it. If you're the one to hold it when the chunins come you'll be blamed demon fox! I'll be in the clear!"  
  
Naruto threw the shuriken at the precise position of the voice and made it fall to the ground. He then saw one of his teachers, Mizuki-sensei, on the ground. It's at the moment he was about to fight him that Iruka-sensei made his appearance.  
  
"Naruto! I saw the whole thing! I'll hold him off while you run. Now go!"  
  
Naruto saw the validity of such an action. Mizuki was weaker then Iruka and the scroll would be safer from his hands. He also decided to get a little extra from this exercise and read the first series of seal to the shadow techniques.  
  
"Kage bunshin.nice trick and easily done too. I wonder if I'd have time to read a second one...Kage shuriken, I know that one already.Goguoukaiin no jutsu.nice one if you're affected by the Goguoufuiin no jutsu.Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu now that's more like it. Lets see now.hard but not impossible."  
  
He stopped running and rolled the scroll back into it's proper form.  
  
'I'll just wait here for Iruka-sensei to come back.'  
  
He waited for a while only for the injured Iruka and the grinning Mizuki to start fighting right next to him. He hid in the shadows to wait for an opportunity.  
  
"Well Iruka, protecting the fox demon I see, even after he killed your parents too. What a shame you helped him escape, now you won't get to see tomorrow. They'll all believe he did it to spite his family and the village and blame Ranma and you for your attitude. You're finished Iruka. But before I send you to hell, tell me why you protected that murdering demon."  
  
"Unlike you, I saw he wasn't the nine tails. He is Saotome Naruto, a ninja of the Konoha who is also one of my best students. He may be acting in a foolish matter sometimes but he's more of a ninja then you'll ever be."  
  
"Nice words Iruka, too bad they're your last. DIEEEEEE!"  
  
An impact on the ground cut him off and a kick to the chin sent him back. The dust dispersed to reveal a pissed Naruto.  
  
"You won't touch a hair on Iruka-sensei or I'll kill you."  
  
"Oh well, I'll have to kill you first then. I'll even give you an edge, hit me first."  
  
Naruto took the position of a seal he had never practiced. His chakra exploded outwards and he sent a battle cry.  
  
"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"  
  
Hundreds of copies of Naruto appeared around the now scared Mizuki.  
  
"Well then, come on Mizuki! You won't? Then here I come!"  
  
The scene being too violently gratuitous it will not be described.  
  
Let it be said that a severely hurt Mizaki laying on the ground was unconscious. He was tied up and being dragged to town by Naruto. Iruka was laying half his weight on his student to walk as they tried to reach another member of the patrol. It was Ranma who found them.  
  
"Hey! Iruka, found the thief?"  
  
"Yes, he was trying to frame Naruto!"  
  
He took the other arm of Iruka and the trio went back to town.  
  
End chapter 1  
  
This is a major OOC but this is an alterverse. Sakura's supportance and eventual acceptance of Naruto is faster because of the past and Sasuke actually respects him for his strength. Naruto is more serious about school but I had to make him go back three classes or he'd be with another team entirely. Ranma isn't a major character but his arrival and his family are primordial to the story as there will be other dimensional travelers in this story. C&C are welcomed but flames are not if they are not constructive. The grammar is bad but that is normal Je suis Québecois d'origine, I talk French as my mother language and English as my second so it looks bad but I'm actually one of the best in school. Next chapter out when I'll have time and feel like it. 


	2. chapter 2

Here is chapter 2  
  
I still don't own Naruto nor Ranma unless it is a book and even then with copyrights I don't own them.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Naruto was going to school once again. It would be his last day as a student and his parents would be there to congratulate him. He had a skip in his step as he ran to school. He was running on the roofs as he usually did to be out of the center of attention. He saw the usual Ino vs Sakura race and decided to go down for once.  
  
"Oi, girls, what are you running for?" Naruto asked.  
  
"Grrrrrrr"  
  
"Grrrrrrr"  
  
"Sorry I asked then.say, can I race with you ? in the middle I mean." He wanted to, really, it would be fun.  
  
"Grrrrrrr"  
  
"Grrrrrrr"  
  
"Oooookay.mind if I stop you?"  
  
They growled some more but had to stop when Naruto put his hands on their foreheads. They were still running but not moving. The standstill lasted a twenty seconds until Naruto started moving from their combined forces.  
  
"Forget it! I'm out of here."  
  
He moved out of the way and let them run as fast as they could while he ran besides them. He passed them at the door of the class only to hear them declare they were first at the same time. He sat down between Shikamaru and Hinata who blushed again.  
  
"H.he.hello Na.Na.Naruto-k..kun."  
  
He smiled at her which turned the blush deeper.  
  
"Hey there Hinata-chan, How are you?"  
  
"F.fi.fine thank you." She answered in a stutter.  
  
He turned to the front of the class where a teacher called the names of the first one to be tested. They either came out with a leaf Headband or in shame. Hinata was one of the first to go. She came back shortly with her headband around her neck. Naruto smiled at her again only to be answered by another blush.  
  
"Good Job Hinata!" He exclaimed to her.  
  
"Th.thank you.Naruto-kun." She was so red she almost glowed with embarrassment and some happiness.  
  
He got up at the call of his name and went into the classroom to find Iruka- sensei and Ranma as the evaluators.  
  
"You passed yesterday Naruto, you used an advanced form of the bunshin no jutsu to beat Mizuki so you pass." Iruka told him.  
  
"I.I do?.Yeah! I did it! Can I have my headprotector now?" Naruto was exited way beyond his normal level.  
  
Ranma handed it to him and he passed it on his head. He then listened to the instructions for the next day and practically ran out of the door.  
  
Everyone turned when he loudly announced he passed.  
  
"I DID IT YAHHOOOOOO!"  
  
He sat down next to Hinata who seemed to stutter harder.  
  
"C.c.congratulations Na.Naru.Naruto-kun."  
  
"Yeah, thanks Hinata-chan."  
  
She blushed even deeper if that was possible and stayed that way until both Ranma and Iruka-sensei came in.  
  
"All of those who have graduated will have their pictures taken tomorrow and be assigned to a team. Then they are to begin missions when their teacher is ready. You are all dismissed." Iruka said to the ninjas, they were now the equivalent of military officers and he had to tell orders.  
  
They stepped outside to their respective family. Naruto was assaulted by his family as he stepped with his headband on. Most of the class was in a similar predicament except the older clans of the village. Hinata was getting stern congratulations from her parents, Sasuke was an orphan and only his current caretaker was there to say 'good work' before he left again. He got away before the girls of the class could flock him as they usually did. Neji was also getting congratulations but that was a creepy get together as the guy was mostly silent just like his family. Naruto turned to see Sakura coming towards him.  
  
"Hey! Naruto!"  
  
"Oi! Sakura-chan! Congrats on passing the exam!"  
  
"Same to you Naruto! Hey, how about you meet my Parents? I wanted them to meet Sasuke but he disappeared." She said in a disappointed tone.  
  
"You know him, he doesn't like gatherings." Naruto answered with his usual happy go lucky voice.  
  
"Yeah, he probably went home the second he got out." Sakura was still talking with a disappointed voice.  
  
"How about you meet my family first?" Naruto asked her, too happy to present his crush to his parents.  
  
Naruto still had his brother and sister hanging on him literally.  
  
"You obviously know Moegi, this little devil is Ryoma."  
  
They let go of Naruto and looked at the girl.  
  
"You see Ryoma! I told you Niichan had a girlfriend!" Moegi told the smaller child.  
  
"You mean like kissing and stuff?" Ryoma looked disgusted for a second while he said that.  
  
They both looked at the teenagers and expressed their distaste.  
  
"EWWWWW"  
  
"HEY I'm not that bad looking am I?" Naruto complained to his siblings.  
  
"It's not that Niichan but." His sister was looking for a way out of their predicament.  
  
"Kissing is so gross!" Ryoma stated in a matter of fact tone.  
  
Sakura laughed a little, kids like that never knew they'd be the ones to receive these comments later.  
  
"First of all, Naruto is my friend, not my boyfriend. Second, the only boy I'd kiss isn't here or you'd want to kiss him too I'm sure of it." Sakura winked at the young girl while she said that.  
  
Naruto sighed in defeat but took it in stride, there was no insult there. She just liked Sasuke better then she liked him at the moment.  
  
Ranma and Hikari were talking with the Harunas at the same time.  
  
"Your daughter seems to be a friend of our son." Hikari remarked.  
  
Mrs Haruna sighed at that.  
  
"Somehow I know he isn't the.well you know but I just can't help but feel anxious." Mrs Haruna answered.  
  
It was Hikari who sighed now, all the mothers she knew had the same view of the safety of their children in view of Naruto.  
  
"He's not bad, maybe mischievous at times but he doesn't hurt people. The last time I heard of him in a fight it was because some bully was picking on his sister. He's more of a protector then an attacker." The mother defended her son.  
  
"Well, I'll trust you on this Mrs Saotome but I still hope they won't be in the same team. They are getting closer somehow and I don't want her to be hurt if he ever goes berserk." The anxious mother hesitantly said back.  
  
Hikari almost laughed at the fear in her voice. She didn't want her daughter involved with Naruto and that was plain in sight. Naruto was admittedly stronger then the average genin but with his father and natural strength there was no way he would be otherwise.  
  
"Don't worry too much, Naruto isn't some wild beast, he's a ninja and you should consider him as a human instead of what you believe he is. I lost my parents during that time and yet I still adopted him. You should let go of that fear. He's a normal child and I don't care about the condition." Hikari wanted to assure mrs Haruno that there was no danger.  
  
The discution was over there and then. Mrs Saotome loved her son. Plain and simple.  
  
Sakura dragged Naruto towards her mother in a headlock. At least she was her slightly violent self.  
  
"Okasan, this is Naruto." Sakura shortly introduced her friend.  
  
The boy bowed to the woman, if he ever wanted to date Sakura someday he needed to make a very good first impression instead of his usual stupid attitude.  
  
"Pleased to meet you ma'am." Naruto bowed to mid waist while he tried to keep himself from anything stupid.  
  
The woman seemed a little shaken with his attitude. In truth she only knew about him from what the teachers had told her. Iruka was of a different set of mind but they considered him as a nuisance generally. His relative politeness was unexpected.  
  
"The pleasure's all mine young man. Just make sure not to get my little Sakura in trouble." She surprised herself with that answer but what was done was done and the young man was beaming at what was quite an improvement.  
  
"She usually gets me out of it without getting into it herself. If you'll excuse me, I want Sakura to meet my mom too." Naruto once again bowed and directed his attention and Sakura towards his mother.  
  
"Very well."  
  
She sighed, he had seen the slight panic in her eyes. She was sure of it, and he had left just because he didn't make her comfortable. Her husband came up behind her.  
  
"Seems like Saotome-san told him." Was all her husband said.  
  
That made her gasp in a little shock. He knew of his origins and yet didn't lash out at everything in a fit of rage.  
  
"He seems not to care." She sighed "He also won't be telling everyone unless he needs to I suppose. Those who may know will try to lynch him for all we may know."  
  
"I suppose but I think the younger may not care about that anymore. They weren't there and few of them lost both their parents except Naruto himself." He reasoned to his wife in a whisper.  
  
Somehow, they were less hostile to the boy now.  
  
Back with Naruto and Sakura.  
  
"Oi, Okasan! I want you to meet Sakura." The exuberant ninja said.  
  
"Pleased to meet you Saotome-san." Since Naruto had to be so polite with her mother, Sakura felt obliged to do the same with his.  
  
"Nonsense dear, call me aunty please. I'm not that old." The older woman remarked while she bowed as well.  
  
Naruto blushed a little at the look his mother sent him while his father who held a little back said something about his own mother.  
  
"Alright then aunty! I'll see you tomorrow Naruto!" Sakura said as she walked back to her parents.  
  
"Yeah, see ya Sakura-chan!" Naruto said.  
  
He waved at her as she left before he turned to his own family.  
  
"Son, that's a nice girl you met. You know I want grand-children someday." Hikari said it right there. Freud turned in his tomb and renamed his Oeudipies complex the Ranma complex.  
  
"MOOOOOM!" Naruto blushed at the idea of having children and the mandatory activities before the nine months of pure hell as he knew them from the birth of Ryoma.  
  
"At least she doesn't say 'my son is so manly' like my mother did." Ranma said under his breath in the hopes his wife wouldn't hear.  
  
They left the school ground for a rather private reception for their graduated son.  
  
The next day.  
  
In the classroom.  
  
The teams roll call was slowly being called. There were 27 graduates for 9 teams.  
  
"Team 7 will be Haruno Sakura." Iruka-sensei said.  
  
'Put me with Sasuke, put me with Sasuke.'Inner Sakura screamed while she punched and kicked at imaginary opponents.  
  
"Uchiha Sasuke." Once again with the call roll.  
  
'Mind Power HA!' Inner Sakura had her fist in the air with a look of triumph over nature and the odds themselves.  
  
"Oi, Ino, I get to be with Sasuke all the time. What do you say about that!" Sakura gloated to her rival and, on the subcounscious level, friend.  
  
"Saotome Naruto." The third name on the team fell as well as the hopes of Sakura.  
  
'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!' Inner Sakura was hit to the heart somehow as she screamed in agony.  
  
"And you carry the third wheel of the bike right?" Ino shot back while Sakurta looked thoroughly defeated.  
  
"Team 10: Yomanoka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji." The teacher called again.  
  
"HAHAHAHAHA, stuck with these two HAHAHAHA! At least I'm with Sasuke and Naruto can be useful as a human shield. You're stuck with two shields." The defeat of Sakura was now a complete and utter victory on her part as the cavalry had made it on time.  
  
"I'm team leader from now on you morons." Ino tried to make her superiority clear.  
  
'Why me.' Was the only thought from Shikamaru who was already seeing the torture of being next to Ino all day long or worst.  
  
It was obvious Shikamaru didn't really mind the arrangement but even if Ino was a major babe in his book it didn't mean her attitude didn't get to him sometimes.  
  
The teams left one after another until there was only team 7 left in the classroom.  
  
"What is the Sensei doing, he's late! What are you doing Naruto?" It was Sakura who was voicing her opinion of the lateness of their instructor.  
  
Naruto was pulling a prank on the sensei it seems.  
  
"Testing this sensei, I'll see if he is either stupid or holding back." He rationalised with the kunoichi.  
  
He placed the black board eraser on top of the door only to be hit in the back of his head by a piece of chalk.  
  
"I'm far from stupid Naruto. I'm also quite aware that I'm late. I had a meeting with the Hokage and your impatience is quite a flaw." A voice came from the window.  
  
"Ra.Ranma-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed.  
  
"Yup, I'm your teacher. Lets get to know each other better. Tell me your name, goals likes and dislikes. Everything you can think about." Ranma said.  
  
"I'll start Sensei! I'm Saotome Naruto, My goal is to become the Hokage! What I like is food and Sakura-chan. What I dislike is bullies and people who ignore me."  
  
'I'm also the carrier of the seal of the Kyuby and people think I'm the demon.'  
  
"My name is Haruno Sakura. My goal is to.I.I can't say it. What I like is.who I like is.I can't say it either! What I hate: When Naruto does something annoying!"  
  
"I'm Uchiha Sasuke, What I like and dislike are my busyness. My goal is to kill a certain man."  
  
"All right, now I know who to say needs to go back to the academy."  
  
"NANI?"  
  
"You have to pass a test tomorrow, 5:30 at the training square. Don't take a breakfast. I'm gonna make you sweat and food will make you barf."  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not one of those tests!" whined Naruto.  
  
"Yes one of those Naruto. I'll make sure you don't eat either tomorrow." Ranma responded as calmly as humanly possible.  
  
"Kusooooo." Naruto whined again while he looked down in defeat.  
  
"You're dismissed until tomorrow. 5:30 sharp, no lateness tolerated this time." Ranma said with the voice of a drill instructor.  
  
The next morning.  
  
At 5:30 sharp, team 7 and their Sensei were ready to go at it.  
  
"Oi, why did you have to make sure I didn't eat, now I won't be able to fight at full strength." The famished Naruto grumbled.  
  
"If you barf you eat it you know? It's actually better that you didn't eat." Ranma stated.  
  
He lead his team to a clearing in the forest next to a slab of stone.  
  
"Now first of all, there is a test today normally but as you may have noticed, unlike the other teams, ours is less balanced then the others." Ranma explained.  
  
"What do you mean Sensei?" Sakura inquired, not understanding.  
  
Ranma breathed as he looked at the three.  
  
"Sakura, you are the smartest ninja of the graduation, Sasuke is deemed a genius by all the teachers and Naruto is the ninja with the highest endurance level since I passed at the academy. I was an adult at the time as you may know. I was adopted into the village unlike you who were born here." Ranma explained.  
  
"What does that change Sensei, with Naruto's grades we might as well have been balanced according to the administration." Sasuka stated.  
  
"You're right Sasuke but you saw first hand that Naruto should be a genin already. Even you can't say it isn't true. Yourself have been ready for a while. Today I should test you but I believe your team just needs my training regimen. Naruto and Sasuke will train with my assistant while I'll get Sakura a little more up to par with the two of you. Kakashi! You can come here and begin." Ranma called.  
  
The white aired genin dropped from the tree with his book 'come come paradise' out and ready to be read.  
  
The trio of genin sweat dropped as he turned a page of the perverted magazine without looking up at them.  
  
"Hey there. I'll be the assistant of Ranma-sensei. Call me Kakashi-sensei."  
  
"Just a question!"  
  
"What is it Naruto?"  
  
"Why are you his assistant, you're a jounin yourself so." He asked slowly.  
  
"None of your business. Let's get to the training shall we boys?" The copy ninja asked.  
  
"Another question sensei! If we are to be sent into missions as a three ninja team, wouldn't it be more effective to train all three of us in coordinated battles." Naruto asked again.  
  
Sasuke turned and walked away without caring.  
  
"I don't care about the team, they'll just slow me down." Sasuke stated as though it was the simplest of realities.  
  
Ranma got up and blurred to get in front of Sasuke.  
  
"Naruto has a point here. Lets discuss it for now." He redirected his student to the group.  
  
They all sat down in a circle except Kakashi who continued to read his book.  
  
"You see, the point of the test is to weed out those who have nothing to do here. Right now you all flunk. If one of you three is not able to pass the test you all go back to the academy. Since it seems I was wrong in my assumptions that you are intelligent enough to do without it I'll just have to make you try for the test." He stated in a slightly disappointed tone.  
  
"I have two bells here, on my belt. You need to get one of them and you pass." Ranma said in a cheerfull tone of voice.  
  
"But sensei." Sakura asked "if there are two bells and three of us, how can we pass since if one fails the other two do as well."  
  
"That is a rather difficult problem that you have to solve miss Haruno. It's not my problem. The test starts in 5 minutes. Do whatever you want." Ranma said as he walked to a group of trees.  
  
Both Sakura and Sasuke went to the bushes while Naruto stayed in the shade of the tree.  
  
"Why are you not running Naruto?" Ranma asked the blond ninja.  
  
"Whatever for? You know where they are hidden and I can't hide from you well enough yet. Fighting you alone is suicide and until those two realise this I'll just wait and ponder." He answered.  
  
"Do you think I'll let you ponder?" Ranma asked back.  
  
"Sasuke will attack the second you move towards a point of impact. Sakura will wait to surprise you and unless you have a part for me to play in this little soap opera I'll just relax and try to train a little with Kakashi sensei if he wants to." Naruto predicted.  
  
Said ninja lifted his face towards Naruto and Ranma.  
  
"You haven't told him have you?" Kakashi asked the other ninja.  
  
"Have you seen him fight against me with his brother and sister? He's the ninja equivalent of a general in training. He knew the goal of the exercise the second I stated there were two bells and if he didn't, it was because he was thinking of tactical possibilities of a solo defeat of me." Ranma shrugged.  
  
Kakashi shrugged, they were Ranma's ninjas now, not his. He turned to the already training Naruto who was obviously the son of Ranma 'Training Machine' Saotome. He was doing a kata unarmed at high speed while throwing shurikens at a nearby three with deadly accuracy.  
  
"All right then, I'll fight you, just try to make it convincing, it might help the others realise they need to work together." He said.  
  
Naruto stopped moving for a second before he switched styles for a less deadly one and attacked Kakashi head on.  
  
In the bushes, Sasuke was observing both the fight and Ranma. He wanted the tactical advantage of surprise. Ranma looked straight at him in an unknown signal of knowledge of his presence then turned towards Sakura.  
  
"I know where you both are, therefore you have already lost on your own." Ranma stated to the two ninjas.  
  
They both clenched their teeth. Sakura made a descision and got out to rejoin Naruto in his spontaneous training exercise. Sasuke moved as fast as he could to try and hide again. He then came out of seemingly nowhere to hit Ranma with his fire technique.  
  
"Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Sasuke exclaimed.  
  
The ball of fire traveled towards Ranma but he didn't move. When it hit, Sasuke kept moving with the center of the flame in his sight. The move had taken a lot out of him but he needed to show he was stronger. When the fire dissipated, it became evident that he never touched his mark.  
  
"You lose.Doton! Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!" Ranma exclaimed from behind him.  
  
Ranma pulled Sasuke underground up to his neck and stood before him.  
  
"You should never assume an attack position when the enemy is both stronger and more well informed then you are. Especially when the said enemy is sneaky." He summarized the battle.  
  
He turned towards the training session where Kakashi was barely holding his own against the combined attacks. Sakura was the support, using kunais and sneak attacks when she could. While Naruto kept him busy enough to pull off those attacks.  
  
"The exam's over, everyone, come here!"  
  
They made their way towards the annoyed head of Sasuke.  
  
"We're taking a break for dinner. Since Sakura and Naruto seem to have understood the meaning of this part of the exam they get a bento. Now don't give Sasuke any of your food or you'll flunk. I'm going with Kakashi to discuss your fate." Ranma said in a severe tone.  
  
At some hidden cue, all three of their stomachs decided to make themselves known.  
  
"Now that we are alone and quite stuck there Sasuke, listen to me you moron." Naruto said harshly.  
  
"Sasuke is NOT a moron! Naruto no baka! Don't pick on Sasuke-kun!" Sakura hit Naruto over his head.  
  
In Ranma's home world, a certain tomboy sneezed.  
  
"Okay, I take it back Sakura-chan. Listen you pig headed fool. Ranma-sensei is strong, too strong for only one of us. We need to work together for us to even touch the bells. You're lucky I know the parlé de foie gras or you wouldn't get a bite of food." Naruto said without missing a beat in feeding the offending ninja and himself with both his lunch and Sakura's.  
  
Sasuke was chewing a third of Naruto's lunch, keeping his mouth shut.  
  
"After the diner, we need to coordinate our attacks and.UH OH!" Naruto looked horrified.  
  
A piece of food was hanging from Sasuke's mouth giving the teachers enough reason to flunk them all.  
  
The sky got darker, the winds picked up. The end of the world seemed imminent. Sakura hid behind Naruto because Sasuke would have been useless at this moment. Naruto stood his ground to impress Sakura which was highly ineffective. The ground exploded in front of the trio to reveal Ranma.  
  
"You have broken the rules! And thus you pass!"  
  
"EH?"  
  
Kakashi came in the scene with his book opened.  
  
"Actually, I'm the one who is the teacher, I asked Ranma-sensei to help me a little with the set-up and the training. Or rather he proposed himself to be the trainer while we're here. He is right about Sakura needing some more work in the physical department but he'll be able to help."  
  
He turned the last page of his book, closed it and put it back in his pocket.  
  
"Naruto got the idea of the actual test the second we proposed to divide you." Kakashi explained.  
  
"I did? Of course I did! Nothing can get passed me! Ain't I cool Sakura- chan?" Naruto took a gloating position and gloated.  
  
"Stop being annoying Naruto!" The girl he tried to impress punched him straight in the face.  
  
'Damn moron, trying to one-up Sasuke-kun!' Inner Sakura said.  
  
Ranma got near to his surrogate son and whispered into his ear.  
  
"You need lessons in girl chasing son? I'm ready to provide you with my knowledge of what to do and not to do."  
  
Naruto was louder though.  
  
"From what I remember mom telling me you had every female ninja at your feet because of a curse, not some invincible Saotome charm." He stated.  
  
Kakashi and Sakura extracted Sasuke from the ground while Naruto and Ranma started sparing like Ranma and his father had in the past.  
  
"While they are occupied with each other, I'll explain the bells. You see, they were to see if you would take the chance of going alone in a brave but foolish battle or coordinate your forces." Kakashi explained this time.  
  
"But why?" Sakura asked.  
  
He took a kunai and pointed it at Sasuke.  
  
"Sakura, kill Naruto or Sasuke dies!" Kakashi ordered.  
  
She shuddered at the idea. Kakashi forgot Naruto was behind him and got sent sprawling across the field by a kick.  
  
The jounin got up and put his kunai back in it's holder.  
  
"That kind of situation is possible in missions. People die in the heat of battle, friends, enemies, allies and even strangers. None of the ninjas are truly safe from harm. What do you do in such a situation? If you obey there is no real guarantee the enemy won't simply kill your ally and then you're all alone against them. This is the cruel reality. Rather then be alone you have to do like Naruto did. Try to free your teammate and gain a slight advantage." He stated.  
  
He moved towards the slab of stone and loudly clapped in front of it.  
  
"This stone holds the name of heroes of the village. Some of those names are those of my companions." He said respectually.  
  
"Someday I'll have my name on it!" Naruto stated loudly as usual.  
  
Kakashi turned towards him with neutral eye set on him.  
  
"They are those who died in combat." He stated.  
  
An heavy silence weighed on Naruto.  
  
"To be a hero is not to be known by everyone sometimes. It's just to do your duty.well, you're the first ones to pass my test so Ranma is going to advise me a little and provide Sakura with a little extra training in the morning." He said in a less serious tone.  
  
"Yup!" Ranma did something he hadn't done in a long time. He scratched the base of his neck where his pigtail was and said the words that got him in his first bit of trouble. "Sorry about this set up kids!"  
  
For some reason, it seemed appropriate and with the age difference there was little to no danger at all from this degenerating into a Nerimian type situation with Sakura.  
  
"Please, don't do that! It's disturbing for some reason." Naruto complained.  
  
Ranma laughed whole heartedly.  
  
"Well, we'll start your training tomorrow, speak with Ranma-sensei for the specifics of your physical training Sakura, Naruto will most likely be there as well so Sasuke should join you." Kakashi said as he turned to them.  
  
Naruto didn't seem to mind too much but Ranma looked at Kakashi with a little exasperation.  
  
"You're trying to give me all the work aren't you? You're lucky I already agreed to train Sakura or I'd." Ranma grumbled some more while Naruto was in a world of his own. Sasuke finally got completely out of his hole.  
  
"Tomorrow at 6 at the Saotome dojo. You're not my only students you know."  
  
Sasuke nodded and prepared to leave.  
  
"I don't know where that is sensei."  
  
Naruto grinned and took his best gentleman voice.  
  
"It'd be a pleasure to show you the place before I walk you home."  
  
Sasuke was already leaving and with him Sakura. Naruto ran after them.  
  
"Will you walk me there tomorrow Sasuke-kun?"  
  
"Ask Naruto." He said annoyed for some reason.  
  
"I'll show you Sakura! I live there after all!" Naruto said.  
  
"Naruto! I'm trying to have a conversation with Sasuke-kun here!" Sakura punched him again.  
  
Both started bickering like a married couple.  
  
The group separated at the bridge where they had met Ranma that morning only for Naruto and Sakura to go in the same direction.  
  
"Say, Sakura. Want me to show you to my place just in case you need to get there earlier? You never know." Naruto almost flew in happiness.  
  
The pink haired girl sighed and nodded as her answer.  
  
Naruto grinned at her and led her through the streets to the rather big house.  
  
"You know" Sakura commented "How come the Saotome clan has as estate like this one without being one of the older clans of the village."  
  
It was true that unlike the Hyuga and the Uchiwa who had estates because of their rank and blood gifts the Saotome clan was rather new and small.  
  
Naruto took his classic thinking position as he went through the things his old man had told him about the place.  
  
"I know! My father built the place with his own hands when he was still young. My mother was a member of an old clan as well and the village was in expansion at the time so the land was kind of cheap. He told me it was a reproduction of the first home he can remember having." He said with some pride.  
  
"The first home? Where is he from anyway?" Sakura asked with a little curiosity.  
  
"No idea. He never told me." This was said in the most simple and innocent voice known to mankind. That voice was stating the obvious and simple truth.  
  
'WHAAAAT HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE HIS PARENTS ARE FROM?' Inner Sakura was hitting in nothingness.  
  
"You don't even know your origins enough to know where you're from." She said without thinking.  
  
Naruto looked down as he remembered his true origins.  
  
"Oh.I'm sorry Naruto, I didn't mean it that way." She mistook it for grief at not knowing his parents.  
  
He lifted his head with his usual smile on his face. The grin that said 'I am annoying! Kill me!' And shook his head.  
  
"I sure don't Sakura-chan, I'd like to know more then I do right now but.that could be even more dangerous then ignorance. I'd rather it stays in the shadows for now." He said mysteriously.  
  
She looked at him strangely, he knew something more but kept it hidden for some reason. She decided to investigate when she had the time.  
  
"Whatever you say Naruto. I'm going home, see you tomorrow!" She turned towards her home.  
  
"Yeah, good bye Sakura-chan." He waved at her with his usual grin.  
  
Sakura left the premises while Naruto looked down. In the shadows, the figure of his mother hung back, intent on talking to her husband about their son. She may be the smart one of the operation but she sure wasn't equipped properly for that particular talk.  
  
Here ends Chapter 2  
  
Someone told me some parts are rather rushed. Let me tell you a whole 2 or even 3 chapters will be exclusively on how Ranma ended up in the Naruto universe and how the hell he ended up married. The characterization of Hikari will be founded there but that will be in good time. I must also say that Zabusa and Haku will get a boost of power or they won't hold out against Sakura after her first week of training 'Saotome style' As always, C&C are welcomed and I have a suiton Daibakufu no Jutsu ready for extinguishing flames. Godai is out. 


	3. chapter 3

Disclaimer : Naruto is not mine but Kishimoto-sensei is the artist who does. Ranma isn't mine either, he is the property of Takahashi-sensei. As such, I make no money out of the stories I write and claim no legual responsibility. I cannot be sued unless I make money out of it which I don't.  
  
Just so you know, I'm not really into couples in Naruto but if there is one in this story it's a Naru Saku pairing. No comments or questions will make me waver from this path.  
  
On with the story.  
  
Haruno Sakura barely knew what 5 am was, she barely knew it existed and shuddered to think of people who got up at this time. Obviously, both Naruto and Sasuke were used to such a time since they were already fighting over the rooftops.  
  
"Sasuke! Get ready to lose!" Naruto screamed, waking a few people.  
  
"To you! Never!" the dark haired Uchiha replied much quieter but while he was still fighting.  
  
Sakura looked at the battle, they were an hour early and they were already going at it using only Taijutsu and the occasional kunai. As they battled, Naruto would occasionally infuriate his opponent just to try and spite him which served him right in that Sasuke started to use his special techniques. His fire elemental attacks flew everywhere but Naruto countered in kind with a series of shields and counters just before he turned the tide in his favour.  
  
"Katon! Houousenka no jutsu!" Naruto screamed as the ball of fire formed itself. Sakura screamed and just as the ball was about to hit Sasuke Ranma stopped the match with a cancelling technique of his own. The sensei came out of a shadow and talked to his students. Sakura decided to join them immediately and jumped to the adjacent rooftop.  
  
"Nice battle boys. Naruto, you need to work on your chackra control, you spent too much again. You Sasuke need to work on your mental control. If the enemy makes you mad you have already lost. Now both of you give me 100 push ups counting now. Haruno-san, warm up, you are early but that's even better." Ranma instructed Sakura on her warm up exercises until he was satisfied.  
  
"Now we're going to sprint to the Dojo over the roofs. Follow me!" Ranma made sure he was followed by his students and went at his leisurely pace which was a real torture for the trainees. Down on the street, both Kurenai and Asuma were looking at the training team 7  
  
"You think they're trying to surpass our teams?" Kurenai asked.  
  
"No, they already surpass us. Ranma's training them while Kakashi stays back. I think our teams need special exercises as well." Asuma told her as he finished his cigarette.  
  
"I'm going, we have a mission affected to us at 0730 hours and we're supposed to meet at the go club. See ya!" He left her on the street and she turned her way.  
  
Contrarily to what Asuma said, Kakashi was quite occupied with his own workload.  
  
"Why am I stuck with this job?" He was holding a vest in his arms and a needle in his right hand. Yes, he, Sharingan Kakashi was sewing weighed vests. . . at least it would be useful to his students.  
  
"Because I'm training them for you so you have to pay for it a little. Sewing vests isn't that big a price." Ranma said as he came in the dojo followed by Naruto, Sasuke and the very winded Sakura.  
  
"Now it's 0600 we are starting our training, the warm up being done for all of you, we will start with walking with training vests." Sasuke and Sakura were puzzled but Naruto looked absolutely horrified at the mention of this particular training.  
  
"We're doomed!" he exclaimed as the revelation of the exercise was made to him.  
  
"Naruto, put on the extra weigh, the others have to put on lighter versions." Ranma told his son who seized a backpack made by his father with a load of what he called depleted uranium. The thing was heavy like hell and lead seemed lighter somehow.  
  
"Why don't we have the same as Naruto?" Sasuke asked eager to get stronger.  
  
"One must progress one step at a time until he is able to go up no longer. Try this one, it's one of Naruto's old vests." Ranma gave the vest to the Uchiha survivor who was quite impressed by it's weight.  
  
"Does Naruto wear one all the time." He asked the teacher.  
  
"Yes, it serves as training instrument as well as protective armor. If he was to remove it he would be faster and stronger by several times. You're not that far from him yourself since this is the one he wore just two weeks ago and you can lift it, you'll have to put on a training weight as well." Ranma explained. It wasn't exactly enough for Sasuke but he slipped on the vest, the bracers and the ankle weights anyway and understood the principle.  
  
'How heavy, and Naruto runs and spars whith those on' He was astonished.  
  
"Don't worry, in one week you won't feel it anymore." Ranma said as he took a female version of the same vest from a drawer. "Miss Haruno, I have one that'll fit you like a charm, just try to lift it."  
  
And try she did, she also almost failed.  
  
"Good, just the right weigh to start working up to par with those two. No additional weights for you though." He said that as she slipped it over her clothes.  
  
"What now sensei?" She asked as she struggled to just stay up.  
  
"You run once around the block and then you have to sprint 100 meters followed by different exercises like jump rope, push ups and jumping jacks. You then have your mission you will perform while still weighed and then your everyday life, just sit on the ground from now on or on reinforced chairs. Now go!" The ninjas snapped to attention and ran out of the dojo as fast as they could. It took the team the quarter of an hour to complete the first wave of exercises. Once they were done, Ranma looked at his heaving pupils.  
  
"Good, now to start the real training for you boys. Sparing session while wearing the vests. No holding back on destructiveness but no leathal blows. Sakura will work with me." He stated this just as the boys let go of their added weights.  
  
"Sensei, what are we going to do?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Katas at slow speed to get you accustomed to your new weight. On a side note, this training will make you gain lots of weight but make no mistake, your figure won't be touched by it in the slightest way" Ranma seemed to pounder at this. "You'll have to follow a very simple diet, eat lots and lots of food other then salad!"  
  
Sakura stared at her sensei, he was basically telling her to eat whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted and she would still look as svelte and beautiful as she already did.  
  
'ALLLLRRRRRRIGHT! Training here I come!' Inner Sakura screamed while the outer one showed signs of fierce determination to go through this training heaven. . .errr hell she corrected herself.  
  
"Assume position!" Ranma ordered and she assumed the first basic stance he was assuming himself. They then proceeded to execute every movement with absolute precision until it was 8 am.  
  
"Matte! Good job everyone, now clear the mats and cool down. You have a mission briefing with the third Hokage at 0845 hours class dismissed." The students hurriedly did as they were told and regrouped at the entrance.  
  
"Good morning everyone, you'll have your first mission at 0845 at the main office. Do not be late or you'll feel my wrath. Also, training resumes after the mission or at 1730 until your teacher is satisfied you're dead enough for his taste understood." Kakashi asked the student.  
  
"Yes sir but. . . Why are your hands wounded?" Sakura asked. The Jounin developed a sweat drop at the question.  
  
'think fast think fast thik fast' "I burned myself with the stove this morning" 'Got ya, Kakashi, master of excuses wins again!' He thought with a triumphant smile under his mask.  
  
Later, at the missions dispatch office.  
  
Team seven, we have a lost dog to be found in the forest near the village that belongs to the wife of a local Daimao, we have a contract for you to retrieve it. This is a class D mission and as such you have no real danger or enemy against you unless you encounter bandits. If such is the case, withdraw immediately, the head office will investigate the matter accordingly." The third handed the orders to Kakashi.  
  
"Oi, old man! Why can't we fight the bandits?" Naruto, eager to prove himself, asked.  
  
"You are gennin and on your first mission we can't ask of you to fight bandits who could be missing nins or spies. In this case it becomes a class c or even b mission where you may get killed. Confrontation in this case must be avoided unless necessary understood Naruto?" The Hokage explained the young ninja.  
  
"Let's go then, the faster this is over the faster we train!" Naruto exclaimed as though it was a prize to train all day. Even Sasuke almost groaned at his enthusiasm while Sakura looked absolutely horrified. In silence, they proceeded to the forest where the dog had last been seen. The mission was easy and very VERY boring to Naruto who just thought about pounding some bandits. He had screamed the dog's name and the mutt ran up to him as though it had hell on it's heels but it was only a disappointing squirrel.  
  
It was a satisfied Ranma who welcomed the team during a training session with Moegi and Ryoma.  
  
"Back already? You probably had one of those low class d rank mission." The look of satisfaction in his face was all Sasuke needed to know what was coming, Sakura saw the look and shuddered at the thought.  
  
"Too easy for my taste, I needed to train for that?" Naruto asked only to receive a hit upon his skull.  
  
"Easy missions mean easy money, also you didn't put your life in danger or any of this crap, just be thankful I'm not beating the crap out of you just out of principle!" Naruto swallowed and shook off his mild annoyance.  
  
"Dear, it's time to eat dinner! Naruto, you should have called if you had friends over. Now I'll need to make some more food!" Hikari scolded her son.  
  
"No need aunty, my parents will be waiting for me." Sakura bowed politely and turned to leave.  
  
"Nonsense! You're my son's team mates and as such it'll be our pleasure to have you all over for dinner, now no arguing. I'll call your mother and arrange it with her. As for you Sasuke, I believe you're on your own so I don't need to call anyone I assume." She said.  
  
"Hai." Sasuke stoically answered.  
  
"Sakura-chan, how about you help me a little with the food?" Hikari asked the kunoichi.  
  
"Hai" Sakura followed the older woman to the kitchen leaving the men to themselves  
  
"I believe now is a good time to stop our session children." Both stopped their sparring and turned to the master. They bowed and ran to the bathtub.  
  
"How about a soak in the furo you two, after a mission you're bound to be sweating." Ranma went under Naruto's arm and smelled only to find fresh air under there. "Something must be wrong with my nose, weren't you supposed to look for a runaway mutt this morning."  
  
"Yeah, in a forest full of bandits we're not supposed to fight. We got there only to find the mutt running from a squirrel!" Naruto exclaimed.  
  
"Clearly a waste of our time, it answered to it's name." Sasuke stated with his usual tone of voice.  
  
Ranma poundered for a second and decided on his course of action.  
  
"Alright, we're going to a little field trip in the forest this afternoon team and we're beating the crap out of as many bandits as we can!" Both Sasuke and Naruto looked at Ranma with different thoughts in their heads.  
  
'Great! We're off to a real battle! I hope there are some strong people there!' was the thought on Naruto's mind.  
  
'Is this some other test or another way of improving, this man may be the key to the power I seek to defeat him. Either way, it'll let me adjust to fighting with this suit on.' The calmer and calculating mind of Sasuke thought.  
  
Naruto's grin and Sasuke's smirk told it all though.  
  
"Leave one or two for Sakura though. She needs training far more then you two!" Ranme completed.  
  
"Dinner ready!" Hikari called and was answered by the stampede of her family attacking dinner. The fact that there were no leftovers bemused Sakura who tried to even understand how so much food could disappear so fast. Sasuke was the first one to see how it truly worked though. Naruto and Ranma were in a war to eat whatever the other had in his plate as well as their own. Nothing was spilled since either one seriously plucked the food out of thin air. Moegi and Ryoma were also trying their hand at it but were slower then the two grown ups. He was content in observing this display until Naruto stole one of his dumplings. At this point, Sasuke joined the fray only to find out he was much slower with chopsticks then he previously thought. Even Ryoma took food from him.  
  
"Don't worry about it Sasuke, you're just new to this. That's all." Ranma reassured the frustrated ninja. Also the first advanced Taijutsu technique you'll learn from me is a speed technique. Naruto already knows it and I'll be damned if anyone trains as hard as he does in your year, even you can't compare." The foot in mouth syndrome may have lessened somewhat over the years but sometimes there were small accidents such as that one time. Sasuke clearely frowned at the man's words. From sunrise to sundown and sometimes even later Sasuke trained all the time. He had invented ways of training while sitting in class where Naruto was sleeping. Could it be he trained in his dreams or some unrealistic infernal machine! For one to have more training then a Uchiha at any time in life was inconceivable!  
  
"Yeah, I mean I train from 5 am to 11 pm and then some more on my free time! Pops is a demon from the seventh circle of hell! He trains from 4 am to 1 am!" Naruto stated. Sasuke's eyes bogged while Sakura looked for signs of fatigue.  
  
"My Chackra is tightened enough to let me go without sleep for days." Ranma answered the silent question while Hikari sighed dissapointedly. "So, since I have trouble sleeping most of the time I just train."  
  
'Even I am not that sadistic about training and if Naruto trains only three hours less then. . .' Sasuke thought.  
  
"Don't even think about it Sasuke, all three of you specialises in a domain of Chackra, you have your special abilities, Sakura has her control and Naruto simply has endurance. That's why he can push himself that hard at his age. You must remember that every journey is slow. At your age I wasn't even half as strong as you guys are!" That was the slight phrase that Sasuke needed to hear to push him farther. If Ranma, a Shinobi considered stronger then Itachi, had been weaker then him who was he to complain. He was an avenger! A tool for justice and he just needed to be sharpened. If someone strong was to do that for him he would just be even stronger and he would then become stronger then the one to train him!  
  
The rest of dinner was quite silent except for the sound of the battle. Those kids were rather vicious when they tried to steal deserts! The only ones left untouched were Hikari and (mysteriously) Sakura.  
  
"Why didn't Moegi and Ryoma try to eat from my plate?" Sakura asked Naruto while the group was strolling in the forest.  
  
"Oh, that's because you helped make dinner, as such you were considered off limits as a food provider! That and they rather like you." The second part was just above a whisper.  
  
"What did you say?" She asked rather loudly.  
  
"Will you two stop your lover's spat! The bandits will hear us miles away!" Sasuke growled.  
  
'NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SASUKE-KUN NOW THINKS OF US AS A COUPLE! I'LL NEED TO KILL NARUTO!" Inner Sakura screamed while the other one looked at her target.  
  
"Na.ru.to.-kun. . ." Her voice was just loud enough to be heard but the dangerous tone, so obvious to everyone, completely passed Naruto.  
  
"What is it Saku-chan?" He had just made her a nickname, he thought it was cute but Sakura didn't. . .Ranma then saw a piece from his worst nightmares! The demon head attack AND the mallet of doom. Both were thoroughly used to beat up his adoptive son into submission, at least up until a kunai was thrown right at the head of the mallet. The four of them then stopped what they were doing and formed a defensive circle.  
  
"How many?" Ranma asked his pupils.  
  
"10"  
  
"12"  
  
"4"  
  
The boys almost turned to Sakura who had just said four.  
  
"Very good you are all correct, there were 10 then 12 then four opponents, the first ten were the scouts, the twelve are the scouts with two messengers and the four remaining are the strike team. They are rather well organised but lack real skills in the scouting department." The team took out their kunai while Ranma put his hands in his pockets, nothing to do yet. . .  
  
The hiding thieves were the first to move out of hiding. Pitted against a group of relatively young ninjas they were rather overconfident but they paid the price for it. Their strategy was the right one: get the weakest and then move up from there but from their short observation of the group the weakest member had to be the blond boy. It was rather plain and simple at first but when they were about to strike with various weapons they froze in place just by seeing his smile. Naruto seized the spear his chosen opponent had tried to attack with and tossed him away with his momentum. He then moved to fight him. The others now saw the slightly bad position they were in. Thoses may very well be anbu in disguise. They did a quick prayer and went into battle. One rather short bandit wielding a pair of saïs went after Sasuke while the other one attacked Sakura with his bo staff. The last one tried desperately to beat Ranma with a pair of katanas. His failure was immediate and Ranma sat down to observe the rest of the battle.  
  
'No need to interfere unless they get endangered.' He thought just as Naruto used his most stupid technique Ranma ever knew.  
  
"Hengen! Harem no Jutsu!" He screamed as a multitude of clones of himself transformed into a multitude of naked females. Ranma was unaffected since his former curse had taken the dirty part of the male pshyche and beat it down into a rather small space of his mind. The enemies weren't that lucky though and almost fainted from their nosebleed.  
  
Just in time as well since Sakura was rather hard pressed from her own efforts to lift her limbs. It gave her just enough time to build a momentum and smash her wrist band over his head causing him to faint. Sasuke simply punched him on the forehead causing the bandit to fall over while Naruto finished him off with a well placed kick in the stomach.  
  
"Na.ru.to. . . What ever gave you the idea for such a justu? Have you ever heard of feminine modesty?" Sakura was back in her 'Bash Naruto' mode and unless it had a good explanation he wasn't going to live for long anyway.  
  
"Modesty? Isn't that when you don't brag? I mean how should I know? I'm a male not a female!" Naruto argued thus sealing his fate. Sakura had her blunt instrument in hand and smashed Naruto over the head a dozen of times just for good mesure.  
  
"That, he had coming at him." Sasuke remarked with a very small smile.  
  
"You can say that again! Oh well, lets tie those three up and take them back to the village, we'll come back hunting tomorrow!" Ranma was rather hyper for someone who had just been to battle and so did Naruto. Sasuke couldn't keep the smile off his face at the moment, he was enjoying this experience and combat was the best training field he believed. Only Sakura looked bewildered even if she was smiling herself without knowing why.  
  
Thus passed the first week of training, nothing really big as missions. Just your usual rank D crap like babysitting and pest control. The good part was that they had the missions most likely to turn towards rank C thanks to their dayly patrol in the forest. It was exactly one week later that they got their harder mission.  
  
"Team seven, let's see, we have crops to . . ." The Hokage was about to tell the rest of the parameters when Naruto interrupted.  
  
"When are we going to get a real mission old man? All we ever do is crap!" He screamed in indignation.  
  
'Yeah! I'm tired of getting funky assignments!' Inner Sakura screamed while the outer glared at Naruto.  
  
'No matter, missions are missions.' Sasuke thought with an afterthought about how Naruto was right.  
  
"Naruto! You know very well those missions are to build the skills you'll need as chunnin and jounnin!" Iruka exclaimed from his seat besides the third Hokage who stopped him from a longer tirade.  
  
"I believe Naruto may be right Iruka." He stated while looking over a folder.  
  
'Finally, I was getting bored' Kakashi thought as the Hokage handed him the form for a rank C mission.  
  
"You have to escort and protect an individual from danger as you travel to the wave country and stay until his job is done. You can come in Mr Tazuna." At these words a gruffy old man came in through the door.  
  
"So. . .these kids will take me home? You sure about that?" He looked sceptical.  
  
"Yes, quite, you'll leave this afternoon I presume. Don't worry, these gennin are about as good as you can get Tazuna-san." The Hokage remarked as the man sighed in relative defeat.  
  
"We're leaving at 1300 hours, you have until then to gather some stuff necessary for travel as well as weapons and tools. We'll meet at the front gate." Kakashi proceeded to vanish to prepare himself.  
  
"I'm going home to prepare. I bet pops will have extra training just for the trip." Naruto looked extremely overjoyed with that piece of news as he bounded next to Sakura. "Hey, Sakura-chan. How about I escort you home?" He asked. This only earned him a slap.  
  
"I haven't forgotten about your little stunt in the forest of death Naruto and I believe a lot of other people would like to see you as a girl. . .especially your mother." She threatened just as he blanched visibly. The last time his mother had seen this particular skill she had grounded him for a week and made his father double his training. Even Naruto had his limit and that was it.  
  
"Mercy! Anything but that!" He pleaded to the young woman.  
  
Sakura smiled, she rather liked it when men grovelled at her feet. Even if it was only Naruto, she considered herself quite high and mighty at that moment.  
  
"Alright Naruto, just don't use that skill anymore. It's an insult to women all over Konohagure!" she exclaimed. Naruto was immediately grinning like a madman and up from his kneeling position.  
  
"Thanks Sakura-chan! I swear never to use it again! It's pretty much useless anyway." He declared 'As long as I tell Konohamaru never to use it in front of people I'll survive' He thought just as he remembered the young ninja had begged him to teach him one of his ultra secret jutsus and Naruto had taught him the harmless replication technique.  
  
"Sasuke-kun! I'll walk with you!" Sakura told in her charming voice to the other gennin.  
  
"I don't care." Was his only reply.  
  
"Hey! Wait for me Sakura-chan!" Naruto screamed to his companions.  
  
"What makes you think this dysfonctionnal group can get me anywhere?" Tazuna asked Iruka when the group was out of sight.  
  
"You have all the number ones of the village youth. Sasuke is a genius and the first ninja of his year, Sakura is the smartest of her year and Naruto is. . .The most energetic ninja in the village." Iruka explained.  
  
"Energetic? More like hyperactive if you ask me!" The man exclaimed. I suppose I can't be picky can I?" He shook his head as he left.  
  
Naruto was back home and having a talk with his family.  
  
"We have a rank C mission!" He exclaimed just as he took off his shoes to put on his slippers.  
  
"Good for you son, what kind? Bandit hunting? Can I join you?" Ranma asked. The world was relatively calm and the anbu didn't need him that much. Maybe he could get a kick out of beating bandits out.  
  
"Nah, just escorting an old guy to the wave country and protect him until his bridge is completed." He explained. Ranma frowned slightly though.  
  
"Wave country. . . son, you better listen to me on this. Tell your team mates to use the modified weight suits I'll give you before you all leave. The place got dangerous since a fellow called Gatou took control of the incoming products. That bridge is a nuisance to him and I heard between the branches that he has some missing nin under contract." Ranma looked at his now serious son.  
  
"Do you know how many they have?" He asked hopefull. Ranma only shook his head and motioned for Naruto to follow him to the dojo.  
  
"Son, you'll have to keep your team mates up to date in their training while you travel. No extra weights on mission, you never know when an attack will come and it would endanger them. I want you to teach them a technique though." Ranma closed his eyes as though he was considering something very important. "Naruto, my son, from this point on you are no longer a student of the Saotome Masabetsu Kakuto Ryu!" Ranma exclaimed. Naruto was about to protest but Ranma cut him to the chase. "From this point on, you are no longer a student but an assistant teacher, you shall impart your knowledge on your students as though it was me who did so, you will have a limited teaching license and teach only what you can. Your training is not over yet and you may not yet be called as sensei but you are the sempai of the class and by being so are obligated to learn with the others as you help them progress. Those are heavy responsibilities and you may judge yourself not ready for them and as such you may refuse." Ranma looked at his flabberstagged son who immediately answered him.  
  
"I accept the responsibilities and consider them an honour bestowed upon me!" The answer was solid and Ranma nooded. He took a paper out of his pocket and presented it to Naruto along with a dan for his belt.  
  
"You are a second dan master of anything goes now with an assistant teaching license." Ranma announced. They rose and then saluted each other before turning to the shrine of the dojo and bow once again. "Let's go celebratre!" They then proceeded back to the house.  
  
"Hey mom! Guess what! Pops gave me a teaching license! I'm also going on a mission to the wave country!" Hikari looked sternly towards her husband at those words.  
  
"Ranma, I thought Naruto was too young to teach yet. . ." She said.  
  
"But you told me he was growing up so I just took your judgement to heart!" Ranma argued. When she had told him that Naruto was getting older she had meant that he was getting into his teens not that he was ready to teach.  
  
"I didn't mean it 'that' way dear, I meant he was getting into a young man, not an adult. . ." She looked pointedly at him just as it dawned on him that he had made a slight mistake. He decided to shrug it off after a second.  
  
"It was going to happen anyway sooner or later, Naruto is a genius of the school of anything goes after all." Ranma argued. "I'll give him the speech before he leaves dear."  
  
Hikari looked rather satisfied with that and went to prepare a celebratory meal.  
  
At her house, Sakura was getting a full length lecture on what to do and not to do around boys which meant don't get near either of them, if they try anything clobber them and ,most important of all, don't forget your mallet. Her mother was quite strict about that one.  
  
"I know mom, it's not like Naruto would dare touch me while Sasuke is just not that style of man. I'm going to be alright!" she exclaimed.  
  
"I know that dear but you're still my daughter and it's hard to see you grow up." Her mother said.  
  
'Yeah, you're right! I'm a grown up!' Inner Sakura screamed while lifting a psychological mallet.  
  
"You'll understand all that when you have children of your own dear but I worry all the time about you and it's quite difficult to see you get to adulthood." Her mother hugged Sakura at that moment, they were sitting on her bed and it was one of those mother daughter moments. Sakura hugged her mother back.  
  
"Mom, you know what?" Sakura started. "I'm kind of scared, both Sasuke and even Naruto are stronger then me by several times. While I'm quite smart that alone won't save me in a dangerous situation and. . .Even as I get stronger from training they get two or three times better. What can I do?" She asked her mother while inner Sakura was weeping.  
  
"You do with what you have dear, they have brawns and a brain between the two of them but you have one brain by yourself. Thus you may be stronger then the both of them in certain situations dear. However, all three of you put together should be invincible, that's why the three men team system exists for genin. You complement one another and, by doing so, learn from the others. It's the basis of team work. With time you'll get to their level even if you aren't as strong you will still have an above average level and will probably surpass them if you play your cards right." Her mother assured her. This was part of being a mother, her daughter now seemed more willing and determined to go out there. A sad but necessary truth.  
  
"It's almost time to leave. I'm ready to go, tell dad I'll miss him. . . I love you mom." Sakura said as she got up, took her pack and leaved the house.  
  
"Goodbye Sa-chan." Her mother softly said when the door closed. Using the nickname she and her husband had given to their baby girl. A single tear drop fell from her eye.  
  
As for Sasuke. . . well there's nothing to say really except he gathered his stock and went off ot the meeting point.  
  
At 12:45, The integrity of team 7 and Ranma was there, Kakashi was missing though.  
  
"Alright!" Ranma called to his students. "From this point on, Naruto will be your teacher until you come back, he has the theory for your first technique and the basic training plan. It's quite light but you have to follow the instructions perfectly." Ranma announced to the other two.  
  
"Why would I learn from Naruto?" Sasuke asked.  
  
"Because I'm a certified sensei and that if you want to continue your training when we get back you'll listen to my father." Naruto stated.  
  
"Do we have to call you Naruto-sensei or something then?" Sakura asked with a bit of dislike. 'NEVER I'll call him Naruto-chan before I call him sensei!' Inner Sakura screamed in outrage.  
  
"I'm still on probation as an assistant so I'm just your sempai but you still have to obey the regimen, nothing too stupid anyway." Naruto answered.  
  
Ranma then produced two weighed vests of another design.  
  
"These are a new model I made while you were training while I had someone to make them, they have a button on the left wrist that lets every weigh fall off. If you're in a bad spot, use it. No weigh increase, even on your own and absolutely no foolish tries to surpass yourselves." Ranma recommended especially for Sasuke who liked to add more weigh then Ranma recommended. "This life or death and not training." Ranma précised.  
  
Five minutes before they left, Tazuna-san was there but still no sign of Kakashi.  
  
"Oi! Where's my bodyguard, these kids make good human shields but they can't compare to an adult." Tazuna asked.  
  
"Oi, jii-san. Kakashi sensei is good but I'm the best! I'll be the Hokage someday, My name is Saotome Naruto!" He exclaimed his usual introduction only to have Taazune laugh at him.  
  
"Bwahahahahaha! They gave me the super clown of the village!" Naruto blurred and disappeared.  
  
"Did he go pout somewhere?" Tazuna asked only to feel something poking his back.  
  
"This is a wooden kunai, I could have killed you from anywhere without you noticing, I can also do this." Naruto threw the kunai at a nearby wall where it embedded itself between two bricks. "Never insult my skills old man. I train very seriously."  
  
Naruto went back towards Sakura.  
  
"Now where is Kakashi-sensei? He's always late when it comes to meetings like these." Naruto muttered.  
  
Just as he said that, the afore mentioned Junin appeared in a cloud of smoke.  
  
"Sorry I'm late. I fell asleep." He had his usual excuse and his book opened in front of him. "Well, are we all ready?" he asked only to see all of them nod. "Let's go then Tazuna-san." With that, the whole of team seven left the village of Konohagure for the Wave country.  
  
End of chapter 3  
  
Finaly, a new chapter done and over with! I spent the whole summer working in the woods thus making this many months late! I'm sorry I grovel before you readers.  
  
Now someone asked me to include two things in this fic. This person shall not be mentioned here but I would like for all of you to read this notice.  
  
First, this story will not contain Yaoi because I don't plan on doing so. I have nothing against yaoi but I won't write it unless it's obvious in the story, say what you like but I will still not do it.  
  
Second, Ranma's curse was removed by the powers above meaning me. However you have to remember that Ranma used the broken Naaban mirror. The rest would spoil the surprise!  
  
Next chapter we begin the Zabusa arc of Naruto and we will see the powered up versions of Zabusa and Haku as well as one or two new associates. The madness shall now truly begin as I introduce oc so the challenge of battle remains the same. As for the results. . . you'll never know! 


	4. chapter 4

Saotome Naruto  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Mizu  
  
The afternoon was quite advanced when the small group made a halt. The ninjas were nowhere near exhaustion, in fact this seemed like a breeze to them compared to their training regimen. Kakashi's salvation came from his experience, had it been Kurenai, the youngest teaching jounin, she would have been down on all four trying to catch up to the group. Tazuna with his normal endurance and stamina was quite a burden for the eager youth. Unknown to the group, two pairs of eyes were watching.  
  
"Quite an easy job, let's just go on ahead and lay our trap." The first one told the second  
  
"Yes, we'll take out the adult by surprise and the others will just fall down like mosquitos!" replied the second. They dashed through the vegetation almost completely unheard.  
  
"So we're being followed." Sakura remarqued.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tazuna asked.  
  
"Two guys in weird costumes, probably bandits or missing nins, there were some reports of them around in these parts." Naruto said just as he finished a kata with Sasuke.  
  
'Unless . . .'Kakashi thought to himself. 'I'll just have to wait and see.' He concluded just as he stretched to relieve his back.  
  
"Well now, let's get going people, we may want to avoid traps from those two." Kakashi said.  
  
Sasuke, who had been silent this whole time simply got up and rejoined formation with Sakura and Naruto first, himself behind Tazuna and Kakashi as the rear guard.  
  
It was five minutes later that they spotted the puddles of water and their followers. The second Kakashi stepped between the puddles of water, they moved and slaughtered him, then moving to the fear stricken Naruto who was just as easily thorn to shreads. They then skewered Tazuna going through Sasuke and Sakura as though they didn't even exist.  
  
"That was easy." Deadpanned the first one.  
  
"Yeah, I thought we could have some fun." Commented the other one.  
  
They started looking through the bodies to find some secrets.  
  
"Do you think we should knock them out or something?" Naruto asked from his lookout in a tree.  
  
"Well, we could ask them a few questions." Kakashi answered. Sakura was holding up a genjutsu and sweat was starting to pearl upon her forehead.  
  
"I'll do it." Sasuke commented as he blurred to hit the pressure point hidden on their neck.  
  
With the genjustu released and the missing nins quite immobilized the team had all their time to ask questions.  
  
"So. . . why did you try to kill us, you're not bandits, they usually try to get it done in an easy fashion, the hold up type." Kakashi asked.  
  
"Sensei, they may be missing nins from Kiri no Kuni from their headbands or they were hired to assassinate Tazuna-san." Sakura summarised the possibilities.  
  
"How do we get it out of them? The usual perhaps?" Sasuke asked towards Naruto.  
  
"Well, maybe we could try something special this time, you know Sakura, you were talking about using it on me to make sure I'd talk about you know what." The wink didn't go unnoticed and Sakura immediately though about all the tortures she would have inflicted on Naruto after his stunt with the harem no jutsu. They entailed several sharp objects going somewhere the sun doesn't shine. She blushed a little and then inner Sakura found her way outside for a second. That alone could have scared even Sasuke witless but with the obvious threat of a very obscene torture it was enough for the ninjas to wet their pants with fear. The fact that Naruto took out a wicked looking tool from his backpack simply made them green.  
  
"Put that back! We'll talk!" The first one was crying as he broke down and told them everything he knew.  
  
"So, you were sent by your village to assassinate Tazuna-san." Sakura asked.  
  
"Yes, we are chunins, only the two of us for now. They may send reinforcements!" Kakashi touched another point on their necks and sent them into uncounciousness.  
  
"This changes everything." Kakashi started.  
  
"This changes nothing, we still have to get Tazuna-san to the wave country." Naruto said.  
  
"This was supposed to be a grade c mission, just an escorting mission if you will but now it looks like a grade b or even a, reserved for Jounins not genins." Kakashi argumented.  
  
"It's nothing, our mission just became harder none of us even has a scratch. If there was someone hurt it would be different matter entirely. The injured team mate would only slow the others down." Sasuke stated.  
  
"We may be in danger but we are shinobis, it's our life to live dangerously." Sakura stated.  
  
"Kakashi. . .I think you should talk with me a second." Tazuna then proceeded to talk to the sensei. "You see, the wave country is quite poor, even the local Daimao is in deep s**t so I'm not really well off either. The one we're up against isn't just a little local bandit. You must have heard of him, his name is Gato. . ."  
  
"The Gato, one of the richest men in the world? Kakashi asked. The nod from the old man told it all.  
  
"His money came from drug deals and extortion, he makes the law in the wave country. He has a private army of mercs and ninjas at his beck and call. . .those two must be from his army or at his disposal." He concluded.  
  
"The kids have decided already so there's no need to think about turning back. The three of them against me would leave me quite dead believe me so I'll just follow and try to keep them out of trouble." The teacher stated as he looked at his three pupils. Sakura was trying to choke Naruto while straddling his waist. Sasuke looked somewhat amused and Naruto was smiling because of the position they were in. We'll make camp here, as long as those two are under our custody they'll think it's normal and won't send anyone after us. Team! Make camp!" The three genins looked at their teacher and went dispatched their order of jobs.  
  
"Ok, one of us had to make a fire, another find water and the last find wood." Naruto stated.  
  
"I'll make the fire." Sasuke stated as he got up and gathered some surrounding wood to start his fire.  
  
"I'll get the wood." Called Naruto leaving Sakura to get the water. When the children were gone. Kakashi sat at the base of a nearby tree and took out his book.  
  
"What are you reading?" Tazuna asked.  
  
"Icha icha paradise volume 3." The copy ninja answered  
  
"May I see that?" Kakashi threw him the first volume and both adults started reading the naughty books eagerly.  
  
Naruto walked a little bit into the woods and found himself a dead tree. With one mighty kick. The dead and dry wood broke and fell. The blonde took the tree by the roots and started pulling it back to the camp. Meanwhile Sasuke was building his srarting wood into a form so the fire wouldn't be taken out by the winds when Naruto dragged wood into the place.  
  
"Naruto. . . does gathering firewood include cutting whole trees?" Sasuke asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yep, it does when you really want to get enough for a long while. I'm leaving this to you while I get some food. Fish alright with you?" He asked the taciturn boy.  
  
"Whatever." Sasuke answered the blond who took off into the nature.  
  
Sakura was at the stream, the water was cool and just deep enough for a dip.  
  
'What can it hurt? I'm a girl, I need my bath to maintain my beauty.' She reasoned. She shed her clothes and jumped in the water to wash herself.  
  
A little bit upstream, Naruto was in his boxers 'fishing' their diner with his bare hands. Normally this was quite impossible but his father had taught him quite well since he could do so just fine. It was then that he saw the biggest, tastiest and liveliest trout ever. He waited to make his move until the fish was just a little bit in front of him. He then moved in hot pursuit, swimming after the trout downstream as fast as he could. Sakura saw the fish coming and a pale pink blur catch up to it. Said blur caught the fish and surfaced only to throw it on the ground right next to her clothes. She looked at the blur, getting quite an eyeful of it's muscular chest.  
  
'Must be Sasuke! What should I do? What should I do?.' Sakura asked herself while the inner Sakura remained rather silent on this matter.  
  
"Whou, what a catch! . . .uh? Sa-sa-sa-Sakura-chan?" Naruto was confronted with something he had never seen. A naked young woman. His eyes bulged out of their holes as he remembered his father's words. 'If you ever step in on a woman taking a bath or the opposite, you'll probably be the one to be considered a pervert.' Naruto did his prayers and awaited his punishment.  
  
Sakura heard the voice, she recognised it and looked up. The swimmer to barge in on her wasn't Sasuke. Sasuke was the only one to have the right to see her like that. Naruto was unworthy of such honor but she was willing to listen to his argument just this once.  
  
"Naruto. . .I hope you have a good explaination for this. Now turn around you pervert." The blonde listened to the orders given by Sakura. She was probably going to give him the 1000 years of pain. Sakura got out of the stream while Naruto faced the other way and got dressed.  
  
"Explain now Naruto." She had a frown and an aura that could rival his mother and Naruto was in no hurry to experience pain in that extent.  
  
"Well.you see I was.fishing upstream and.I followed our dinner and it.we.kinda ended up here and you know the rest. Pleasedon'tkillmeI'm tooyoungtodieI'msorryI'lldowhateveryouwantbutdon'tkillme! Mercy!" The words about doing whatever she wanted him to do was just too good to pass.  
  
"Anything huh?" The look of pure evil she had on her face made Naruto take a step back. "Well then SERVANT you have to carry my stuff and make me food and take the water back as well." Naruto had to wonder if living was worthwhile.  
  
"I can do most of that but you have to carry your stuff or Ranma- sensei will have both of our skins through extra training." That made Sakura regress on that one particular point. Training was fine normally but extra was just evil. Naruto still had to make it back to camp carrying his entire catch along with the water while Sakura skipped along.  
  
"Naruto, I know your father had this weird conception of normal behaviour with women but this is plain machoism." Kakashi was looking at his student carrying that much weight.  
  
"That baka just went and insisted to carry all my share of the work." pleaded Sakura, not mentioning the part with blackmail.  
  
"Y.yeah! Couldn't let a lady do the dirty work!" Naruto supported as he set the water next to the fire. Sasuke was already seated next to it and looked at the blond struggling with the biggest fish to fix it to a stick for it to roast over the fire.  
  
"Why did you bring that much fish Naruto?" Sasuke asked.  
  
"Much? I should have taken 2 or 3 more just in case! I mean this whooper isn't enough for me!" Naruto exclaimed.  
  
"Oi, Naruto! Don't forget mine!" Sakura reminded her servant who didn't grumble at all.  
  
"Make mine while you're at it." Deadpanned Sasuke.  
  
"Make it yourself!" Naruto shot back.  
  
"Naruto! Make Sasuke's dinner!" Naruto grumbled but did as told.  
  
'I have POWER BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!' Inner Sakura was having a field day with Naruto under her orders until the end of the mission. 'I can make him do whatever I want!...well almost, he won't get me a date with Sasuke but I could get one from him.as IF'  
  
"Oi, Naruto, make mine and Tazuna-san's as well." Kakashi called as he and Tazuna continued to read.  
  
"WHAT!?! Man! I'm everybody's maid now!" Naruto grumbled as he started on his workload. He struggled with the preparations for a small while but was good enough with a knife to separate the meet from the guts. Once he had them roasting he took out two bags of cheastnuts from his backpack.  
  
"Sakura! Sasuke, time to see what you're going to learn." Naruto called. Kakashi lifted an eyebrow and observed Naruto.  
  
"aren't you the one supposed to teach them?" Tazuna asked the jounin.  
  
"Naruto is licensed in his family school of martial arts. He's gonna do fine." He answered as he looked anyway. Why use chestnuts to teach a technique?  
  
"This is called the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. Observe. I put the chestnuts in the fire and wait for them to be ready." Naruto comented.  
  
"This is some kind of joke. A cooking course." Sasuke said as he turned away. Naruto held a chestnut to him before he could go too far.  
  
"Hey Sasuke! Want one?" He asked his rival. Sakura who was still looking at him was wide eyed.  
  
"You-you-you took it out with your bare hands?" She asked him. Sasuke turned back to him as his arms blurred and took hold of the remaining nuts in the blazing fire.  
  
"Yep, it's merely a speed technique, you have to be faster then the eye can see and get them before the heat gets to you. We'll start after supper and continue tomorrow after we take care of your burns." Naruto explained the training and had a shark like look. He took hold of one of the fishes and threw it towards Kakashi who caught itand turned his back to the team and their charge to eat. He then gave a fish to Sasuke and a larger one to Sakura before he took a piece of his own whooper. There were no attacks on the food during the missions because they would possibly need all their strengths but training was still necessary. The meal was completely consumed by the three gennins and they were sitting in front of the fire.  
  
"The trick here is charka control." Naruto explained the fondements of the technique. "By pushing charka into your arms and hands you can increase either the strength, the speed or both with enough training. We'll be focussing on speed since strength is rather easy."  
  
"Before you begin, I may have an exercise to help with that." Kakashi intervened. Naruto looked at him as he turned to the nearest tree and climbed it. "For this you have to control and focus your charka on the sole of your feet. It's one of the most complicated parts to do so."  
  
"Nice but with our vests it's hard to stand that way. The exercises are actually similar Kakashi-sensei. The difference is that we are trying to have a practical application. Now take off your vests, the weights would just hinder you at the moment. We'll work on both exercises." He looked at Kakashi again. "I suppose you want us to start by running?" Naruto asked his teacher.  
  
"That's the normal way to do this." Kakashi remarked. Naruto slipped out of his vest and went to the tree. He paused one foot on it's base and concentrated a second. He then started ascending the trunk slowly himself.  
  
"I think running gives you an advantage yes, but why rush into things, just go slowly and you'll get it faster. Or is it the other way around." Naruto was poundering from his horizontal position. He then shrugged and motioned for his team mates to come closer.  
  
"First of all, concentrate your charka slowly into the sole of you feet until it draws in the trunk." He instructed. Sasuke put in too much power too fast and the wood broke under his feet.  
  
"Damn!" He exclaimed.  
  
"You're too eager Sasuke, do this slowly and carefully. Just like Sakura does." He was looking at her foot already clinging to the wood. "Take a step forward Sakura and do the same thing with your other foot."  
  
"WHAAAAA!" She lost her Balance but Naruto caught her before she could crash on him.  
  
"Just concentrate Sakura-chan, you're doing just fine." He encouraged her as Sasuke took his standing position on the trunk, the balance was rather awkward in this position but it was rather easy to guess how it could be used. He took two steps before he tumbled to the hard ground below. He recovered in time and started again.  
  
"That kind of things happens. You got the hang of it Sakura!" Naruto told his pupils, Sakura was already upside down on a branch. She had walked there without problems. "You're doing fine as well Sasuke, Sakura just has a lot of control. Even better then mine I'll bet!" That part was plain flattery, he wanted out of his little servitude thing as fast as possible.  
  
"Flattery will get you nowhere!" Sakura called to him. 'He's saying I'm even better then Sasuke! He'll never like me now!' Inner Sakura swore in quite a foul language profusely.  
  
"No, but it'll get you to the real training!" Naruto now had the same maniacal gleam his father always had when he was about to teach someone extensively. Sakura fought back a groan of defeat and dropped from her perch. Sasuke was now halfway to the branch and progressing.  
  
'It's amazing how he was able to perfect this training method in a few words.' Kakashi thought. 'He may very well make it to Hokage sooner then even Yondaime-sama did.' The thought was a bit disturbing. He had no doubt his group would pass the coming Chuunin exam with flying colors and start working separately. He surprised himself thinking of the 3 sennins. They were similar in many ways. Sasuke wanted power, Naruto respect and Sakura was simply there to prove herself . Kakashi thought of all the similarities. "Next thing I'll know they'll try to make me the hokage." He finalised his thought and turne3d to the now missing prisoners. He smiled a bit, their escape had been easy to frame and their leader would be coming to take care of business. Maybe he'd get a good fight and a couple of techniques.  
  
Sakura stared hard at the flaming barrier and focussed her charka into her arms, she then punched the air in front of her repetitively to get a feel of how to properly focus it. She failed three time and turned to Naruto.  
  
"Are you sure there's no ingei to this technique?" She asked him. He nooded as he punched the air as well. A bit faster then she did but not by much.  
  
"Dad said you would get it faster because a girl's frame is better built for speed while Sasuke would take a while if he overdid it too much. I don't expect you to get it tonight but to at least try. I have a balm for your burns. I doubt Sasuke will need it since he uses katon jutsu so much but if he does, I'll give it to him. Now try it Sakura-chan, get the nuts from the fire." He instructed. She closed her eyes and executeds the technique without flaw. However, to actually grab chestnuts you need to see them and she touched the red hot coals of the fire. She let out a howl of pain and Naruto pulled her out. "We need to put cold water on these! Hold on to my shirt."  
  
Naruto had to prevent her from closing her fists and the shirt was the best place. He then took off at full speed towards the pound where she had been bathing, grabbing his medicinal pack on the way. Sasuke and Kakashi were coming near the fire when he jumped to the nearest branch with Sakura in his arms. The run was short and he didn't hesitate to jump into the waters as fast as possible. The coals of a fire were often hotter then the fire itself and such burns needed extra cleaning.  
  
"Naruto you moron!" Sakura screamed at him. "This training is too radical!"  
  
"Not that radical Sakura-chan, you actually did it on your first try, you just grabbed the coals instead of the nuts." He said this seriously as he let her hold his shirt. She now did so by reflex. He took out a pot of green goo and after putting her hands in the water, he then gently rubbed the balm on the palm of her hand. "There, you feel better?" She nodded, she could almost feel the burns closing.  
  
"I just hope it doesn't leave a scar Naruto or I'll have your head." She growled. "Carry me back to camp servant." She wasn't feeling like walking at all. Naruto didn't complain, why would he anyway! She wanted to be carried by him. It was as close as he'd gotten to a hug from someone outside his family. He took her in a groomsmen hold and strolled towards the camp. She was quite light without the heavy training vest on and she adjusted to his hold instantly to make herself more comfortable.  
  
"Yes M'mam!" Naruto saluted her as he started forward.  
  
'I did mean a piggy back ride.' Sakura thought. 'Yeah, but this way's more comfortable, and I get to touch those muscles I saw earlier!' She argued, this wasn't the inner Sakura who was screaming her head off in the background because Naruto was touching her, it was simply the voice. . .something else. 'There should only be Sasuke for me! But why is this so. . . ""'  
  
Naruto looked at Sakura, she had closed her eyes and had just sighed in. . .comfort or pleasure? This was going way beyond his expertise of human relationship. Normally people just either ignored him or insulted him. When you didn't count his family, Iruka-sensei and the boss of Ichiraku. Those were about the only people not acting special in his presence. And that included Sakura but she had just sighed in. . .could it be content? What the heck was wrong with the world.  
  
"Sakura, Daijobu desu ka?" He asked her. She opened her eyes and looked into his. Inner Sakura had stopped her tirade about Naruto and Sakura was mesmerised by his clear blue eyes.  
  
"Daijobu Naruto." She whispered. She was rather confused at the moment and he was making it worst. "You can let me down now." She told him. She didn't squirm to get out of his grasp. "I wouldn't want Sasuke to get the wrong idea." His face litteraly dropped as he released her to the ground. They then walked to the camp and found Sasuke trying to get the chestnuts from the fire and failing miserably. He didn't scream in pain because of the previous training in fire manipulation but it was apparent that it hurt even slightly.  
  
"Oi, Kakashi-sensei. When he gets it or when he actually realises this takes time, rub this into the palm of his hands. It's rather effective.  
  
"Alright, Naruto. Our prisoners escaped." He was smilling under his mask.  
  
"They'll be back with their boss, or maybe the boss alone." Naruto was smiling at the possible challenge.  
  
"Yes, get a lot of rest. Sasuke volontered for first watch, you have second and Sakura third. I'll take the first next time." Sasuke stopped his training at once to get to his job of keeping the camp safe.  
  
Later that night, Naruto was stripping a twig during his watch. The fire was still burning as he looked at the moon.  
  
'Sakura-chan will kill me when I wake her.' He thought as time passed with few incidents. 3 hours later, the sun was almost up when he decided to actually wake his team mate. He approached her silently and bent down to wake her.  
  
"Sakura. . .Sakura!" He was whispering but all it achieved was to get her to turn around.  
  
"Sakura!" He said louder. Kakashi twitched and he had no intention of getting into trouble. He started shaking her, gently at first but with more strength later.  
  
Sakura was getting shaken, she could feel it and she knew, on the conscious level, that she had to take a guard duty but her subconscious wasn't aware of that, only that someone was near her and trying to get her up. Her dreams had already been confusing enough. She was running after someone who she assumed was Sasuke but she always ended up kissing Naruto. This greatly set her off and when the first thing she saw as she woke up was the source of her concerns she lashed out at him with a devastating punch. Once the contact with his flesh and his unwanted flight ended, Sakura's consciousness took control and forgot all about dreams, all that remained were destructive thoughts of Naruto and her duty as guard which overrode the first things to do since Naruto was now asleep thanks to her.  
  
"Those weights actually work!" She exclaimed as she dressed herself with the jacket. She then proceeded to be bored. She was on the last guard duty and as such was up 2 hours earlier then her comrades. She did some mental problems, looked at Sasuke. Stared at the fire and not at Naruto sprawled on the ground with a fist imprinted on his cheek and a bump on his head. She then decided to look at her hands. The balm had made wonders. There were no more blisters there and it didn't feel that tender. It was right then that she felt a presence near them. Near Tazuna to be precise.  
  
"Who's there! Identify yourself!" She yelled. Her team mates except Naruto woke up and took their fighting positions. Sasuke had been wearing his vest as he slept and it showed in his movements. Kakashi was on the lookout immediately. Naruto was down from. . .Sakura's fist of fury and he was the only jounin for this high level mission. Gatou was likely to have hired high level ninja for this assassination.  
  
"To have spotted me so fast, you're not the ordinary ninjas are you?" A voice sounded from everywhere. The three took defensive positions. There wasn't much that could actually hurt Naruto anyway.  
  
"They're stupid too, they took out one of their own." A second voice sounded. Sasuke detected a movement and blocked a kunai directed for their charge who was now awake and standing in the center of this tight circle of protection. Mist began to cover the field of battle and Kakashi warned his students.  
  
"Hit the dirt!" The order was followed immediately. Sakura jumped to the ground while Sasuke tackled Tazuna. Kakashi was crouched and turned to his opponent. 'Momochi Zabusa, Kuri no kuni's missing nin.' He had the immediate identity of his enemy from his files as a jounin.  
  
'Sharingan Kakashi, no wonder the brothers never had a chance.' Zabusa thought from his perch on his sword.  
  
"You two, he has friends in these woods. Protect Tazuna. I'll take care of him." Kakashi instructed his students. He could only hope Naruto would wake up.  
  
"Sharingan Kakashi. . .give us the old man and we'll spare your men." Zabusa told him. "Or rather children. They don't look fit to be ninjas." He leered. Those words made Naruto twich and he opened an eye but remained laying on the ground. Sasuke and Kakashi saw it but Zabusa had no possibility to do so while Sakura had her back turned to him.  
  
"Sharingan?" Sasuke asked himself. He looked at his teacher. "How can it be?" He asked silently.  
  
"Don't interfere in this battle, protect Tazuna you two. Zabusa, if you want Tazuna." He lifted his headband and revealed his three branched sharingan. "Come and get him."  
  
"I'm flattered, the sharingan already! I had a small book when I was on the ambu of kiri no kuni, it said that you had copied a 1000 techniques. But it seems I'll have to get rid of you." Zabusa jumped to the water and floated on it's surface.  
  
"How does he do that?" Sakura asked as she saw him stand on the water.  
  
"Ninpo: kirigakure no jutsu!" He called for his concealing technique and disseapeared.  
  
"He disappeared!" It was Tazuna who talked.  
  
"Don't worry. I'll be his first target. Zabusa was considered one of the best in silent assassinations. I don't control the sharingan perfectly so be careful." He instructed and then hemade a seal with his hands.  
  
"8 possibilities, the head, the neck, the heart, the back, the jugular, the larynx, the windpipe and the vertebra." Zabusa tried to play with their nerves.  
  
'I feel so heavy, sluggish even. Is it the weights? I'm quite weaker then Naruto or Sasuke. I'm easy picking here.' Sakura thought.  
  
'The air feels so heavy, the tension here is so thick. Why did that annoying moron have to faint now of all times?' Sasuke was sweating as well when Kakashi turned to him.  
  
"Don't worry Sasuke, ! don't let my team mates die."  
  
"We'll see about that!" Zabusa was in the little circle of protection. He pushed Sakura and kicked Sasuke. He turned to hit Tasuna but was stabbed by kakashi in the back. The wound let water drop to the ground as the water clone vanished to let place to another Zabusa who hit Kakashi. The attacks turned violent until Zabusa, the real one, kicked Kakashi in the water.  
  
'Why is this water so heavy?' He thought as Zabusa jumped next to him.  
  
"You're within my jutsu. Suiton!suirou no jutsu!" Kakashi was trapped within a ball of water.  
  
Kakashi was looking at him. The mist had cleared a bit and you could see quite well his pupils and their charge.  
  
'Very nice, he's going to get the drop on him. Unless. . .'  
  
"You can come out and take care of them. Haku, Sonja, Kohaku." Three children dropped from the trees. Two boys and a girl. One of them wore the mask of a hunter nin and the other two had the headbands from kuri no kuni.  
  
"Take them out." He ordered. The girl, Sonja, looked quite happy with this decision.  
  
"I'll take the girl, you can get the boy Kohaku. I'm sure Haku wants the old man." She said as she stalked forward.  
  
"SAKURA, LET THE WEIGHTS GO!" a voice sounded through the mist. An orange blur burst forth and tackled Kohaku. Naruto had just come and saved the day. Two more Narutos burst forth and charged Zabusa who summoned his own water clones to counter the onslaught of shadow clones. They were batted back as one clone gave a tool to Sasuke. Sakura released the weights to the ground and burst forth as well to meet her opponent while a wall of shadow clones were protecting Tasuna with their bodies giving the ninjas a good opportunity to attack.  
  
Sasuke took the tool in hand and unfolded it.  
  
"Fuuma shuriken! Kage Fucha!" He jumped to the air and threw the weapon to Zabusa who caught the projectile and dodged the one in it's shadow.  
  
Meanwhile, Sakura was trying to controil herself. With the released weights she was faster, lighter and quite stronger. The changes threw her off balance but she was too fast for her opponent to hit solidly.  
  
"That's it!" The girl screamed as she made some seals. "Mizu bunshin no jutsu!" The water clones overwhelmed Sakura who got a few bruises and cuts until she pushed them back and called for her own special technique. Feeding charka to her arms, she called the attack Naruto had taught her the day prior.  
  
"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" A fury of punches flew towards her opponent who stepped back from the onslaught until a light slap touched her. After that first contact, hundreads of punches rained upon the girl who had to flee. The use of so much charka took it's tool on Sakura who put her back to a tree.  
  
Sasuke was descending from his jump when he was met by Kohaku. They started a mid air battle for dominance. Both traded kicks and punches at great speed. Sasuke's opponent turned up the beat when he called the first jutsu.  
  
"Raiton! Raiken no jutsu!" His fist charged with electricity as he punched towards Sasuke. He saw the punch approaching slowly. The world had suddenly slowed down. He saw the fistpassing his head just slightly just as he began to understand, the world resumed normal speed just as he punched his enemy towards the trees.  
  
Just as Zabusa was jumping over the giant shuriken, it transformed into a spinning Naruto who took hold opf the man's ankles to yank him down. He pushed himself up and touched two pressure points hidden under the shoulder blades as he passed them. He then took hold of his shoulders and threw him to the shore at the feet of a surprised Haku.  
  
Naruto landed unsteadily on the surface of the water and released his shadow clones. He was trying to emulated what Kakashi had been doing but was unsteady on the slippery surface.  
  
Haku knew what had happened and took hold of his commander.  
  
"We'll retreat for now." He disappeared in a swirl of mist.  
  
Once it was clear the enemy was gone, Naruto and Kakashi returned to the beach where they fainted dead away with few words.  
  
"Used too much Chakra. . ." they said in unison.  
  
This ends this chapter.  
  
It's been a long time since the last update but do not fear! The writer is here!  
  
Zsych: It isn't exactly at the end of Ranma canon, Ranma blasts mountains and kills gods, while Itachi is strong he sure isn't that strong. Also, Ranma is stronger but who said he wanted the Hokage name or could get it at all. He was taken in by the village and as such cannot be designed hokage for some obscure reason. Ranma also is a genius of combat. An undefeatable champion and Itachi's 4 branch sharingan with it's illusion would just unleash Ranma's neko-ken . . .which simply multiplies his strength.  
  
Someone: forget it! I'm going until the series ends and then I'll just make a sequel!  
  
Adyen: not much of a visible powerup but they have to be holding back right ; )  
  
Kim: like I said, I'm writing a side story when I have time. It'll be a oneshot and I'll announce it in this fic. It will tell Ranma's tale and some of his missions.  
  
Dan Inverse: I gave him a team and I also give him a visible boost soon. As for Sasuke's sharingan, it will simply appear with effort and training.  
  
Cyber1: they are almost the same age but Naruto was sent back three times. He is slightly older then them by a couple of months and may have a year older if you look at numeral values. They are older then in the real series as well. I made them about 15 or 16 when they are merely 12 in the anime. It's simply because I don't think 12 year olds could really be ninjas unless they were extremely talented. There will be good reasons in the story itself if it calls for it later.  
  
Some of you may say that Sakura souldn't have mastered the amaguriken so fast but you have to remember she has better control of her charka and her lither frame is better built for speed. The weights also give her an edge since she removed them. Sasuke being Sasuke acted as such. Unlike in the series, Sakura kicks asses! She may very well fall for Naruto. I have plans for Sasuke though. 


	5. chapter 5

Saotome Naruto  
  
Disclaimer : see what I said in the previous chapters.  
  
Chapter 5: Relations  
  
Naruto woke up in a small boat, Kakashi was unconscious next to him and Sakura was changing a wet cloth over his forehead.  
  
"Naruto! You're awake!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Hush up will you? We're not going by paddle for nothing you know?" The rowman asked the girl.  
  
"I'm almost out of chakra and I think Kakashi-sensei is the same. You and Sasuke will have to protect Tasuna-san yourselves from this point on. I'm not much use right now anyway." He said. He was recovering fast but to say he'd be in fighting shape soon would be a stretch.  
  
"You mean we'll have to fight those ninjas alone?" Sakura asked.  
  
"Nah, I nailed the guy with no eye brows's lethargy tsubo, he'll be out for a week at least and need a guard, the one throwing needles was probably the strongest of the three and the medicinal expert from his weapon of choice." Naruto said with a proud smirk.  
  
"I don't need to worry then!" Tasuna said.  
  
"He's not dead yet. He's of the mist, he will be back." Sasuke said softly making Mr Tasuna shiver.  
  
"If he does, we'll beat him again." Sakura was confident.  
  
"No if about it. . ." It was Kakashi who had woken up. "As you all are right now, he'd tear you apart. Naruto was lucky to get that shot in the way he did." He struggled to say that with a straight face. Anyway he looked at the moves in his memory he had problems realising just how much charka Naruto had used. The Kage bunshin divides the user's charka evenly between the bodies giving them a limited lifespan. The number he had used, the transformation and the concentration he had used to stay afloat put him at least in the higher spheres of the chuunin level. To faint after such a display was only natural, many would now lay dead. He would recover within three days himself but Naruto would surely be up and about the next day. Meanwhile they were in a critical situation. Sasuke was good in a fight but if the one with the mask of the hunter showed up, he would surely be no match unless he could use the sharringan, Sakura was a physical liability sometimes but still a member of the team. Naruto would see to her training to bring her up to par but he really needed to train Sasuke the basic to summon the sharringan. His own had been grafted to ensure at least one in the village retained the ability somewhat and with his weak link with the Uchiha family he had been the obvious choice. That didn't mean he didn't know the basics, and if what he had seen during an instant during the battle was real then the Uchiha line would have a more worthy heir then Itachi.  
  
"Naruto, I'll be taking over Sasuke's training in the morning. There is something only he can learn I will teach him." He said.  
  
"Sharingan. . ." Sasuke whispered.  
  
"Hai." Was the simple answer.  
  
"Techincally he'sa your student but it only means I'll be working him to the ground in the afternoons." Naruto said with a predatory smile.  
  
"If he can stand." The jounin muttered under his breath. "Try to take Sakura up to par, you'll probably be ready to start training tomorrow so and they won't risk an attack unless they can go all out after the last battle." He said louder  
  
"I was planning on expanding on the amaguriken and control, Sakura's the best at that so we'll walk on water, without the weights at first and then with them on." He looked rather happy. "Sakura-chan, have you brought your swimming suit? If you didn't you'll have to go skinny dipping."  
  
"Naruto no HENTAI!" She hit him off the boat and he landed in the water.  
  
"You do realise you have to go get him Sakura?" Kakashi asked her. "Hope you have a swimming suit." He dead panned.  
  
'I knew I should have taken it!' Inner Sakura was crying, she would be wet until she could change.  
  
She removed her weights, thankful Naruto didn't have his and most of her outer clothings. Sasuke looked her way for a second and blushed in a rare show of human nature. Sakura blushed very deeply and had to refrain from hitting him, he wasn't a lecher like Naruto. She jumped into the water and rejoined her powerless teamate. She seized him and dragged him to the boat.  
  
"I don't know if I should thank you or blame you Sakura-chan." He joked as she did so.  
  
"Just apologise for what you said Naruto!" She hissed.  
  
"okay, I was just joking around you know! You can have your underwear alright!" He was cut off when she plunged his head under the surface.  
  
"You-you-you HENTAI!" she took him out and looked him in the eyes just as they were hauled into the boat by Sasuke. He was serious about his it seemed.  
  
"Clothes get heavy in the water and you'll be lucky not to be drenched at the end of training, the less you wear, the better." He was actually logical in his explications and was thus sparred another swim in the river. The row man looked paranoid now, they were in mortal danger and his passengers were making lots of noise.  
  
Naruto glared at Sasuke when he caught him looking at Sakura who was putting her clothes back on. The black haired ninja averted his gaze instantly. Human emotions were a weakness he didn't need.  
  
The rest of the way was uneventful as the boat docked right in front of Tasuna's home itself. Sakura and Sasuke dragged Kakashi and Naruto to the house so they could rest. They were greeted by Tsunami, Tasuna's daughter.  
  
"Father, you came back!" She sounded exstatic to have her father back. She looked at Kakashi, barely able to stand and went in search for a futon.  
  
"Bring another one please, another of our friends is in the same predicament." Sakura asked when she saw their hostess with the mattress. Naruto could barely move at this moment but he still grinned.  
  
"Don't worry Sakura-chan! I'll be good as new tomorrow." He tried to sound energetic but failed miserably since he had used the little charka he had regenerated during his unwanted swim.  
  
"Just rest you baka." She said. Worry was seeping through her voice.  
  
"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. . ." He was snoring loudly now. She sweat-dropped and dragged him to the bedroll where she unceremoniously dropped him. He seized her arm and dragged her down with him and hugged her to his chest.  
  
"Naruto!" She exclaimed as she tried to free herself from his grasp. She ended up closer then ever to him with her limbs spread eagle. His strong arms circling her and holding her tight.  
  
"Who are you?" A kid was crouching next to them.  
  
"Inari, please be polite, they were the ones who got me here in one piece. The boy is just a bit tired and he's strong enough to hold her there." Tasuna explained to his great son who just looked sarcastic.  
  
"They should leave before Gatou kills them." He commented.  
  
"Hey kid." Naruto released Sakura from his arms as he woke up. He looked into his eyes and saw the same thing he had seen in his eyes when he had been younger. "I don't know what the hell happened to ya to make you so sarcastic but Gatou is small fry for me! I'm Saotome Naruto and I'll be Hokage one day!" He exclaimed. Sakura hit him over the head for his earlier forwardness and Inari commented.  
  
"Until then you're in bed and getting beaten up by a girl." He went to the stairs. "Heros don't exist in real life. I'm going to look at the sea from my room." He said. Sakura looked ready to follow the brat but Naruto held her back.  
  
"I know it's annoying but the kid just needs to be shown that heroes do exist. Something happened to him when he was young and he just closed himself. Not the brightest move but normal for a kid." Naruto said.  
  
Sakura looked at him stupefied at how deep his reflection was.  
  
"How did you. . ." She was about to ask when he cut her.  
  
"Were the same, him, me. I can see it in his eyes." He had a frown plastered on his face as he stated this. Sasuke looked at the floor, reliving in his mind the end of his own family by the hands of his brother. He got up and went up the stairs only to hear the muffled cries of Inari crying over his father.  
  
The next day. Naruto was back to his energetic self and he escorted Tasuna with Sakura as Kakashi went with Sasuke to the forest for their training.  
  
"Why are you two not going with your teacher and the black haired kid?" Tasuna asked.  
  
"Kakashi is actually teaching him advanced stuff we wouldn't get." Sakura said.  
  
"Bloodline ability, we wouldn't be able to do it even if we were trained in it our whole life." Naruto commented. "We'll work on control until mid day and then we'll start on techniques and even katas if we're lucky." He said with an enthusiastic smile plastered on his face. "We're going to work on higher control and then your endurance."  
  
"This isn't good. You want to kill me." She said. "Anyway, since you're working on a bridge and he wants me to learn to walk on water we're going to stay close." She finally answered the bridge builder.  
  
The bridge came into view and Naruto removed his clothing one piece after another.  
  
"My father's the expert but I guess you're going to have to remove your clothes like I told you. It guaranteed you'll get a dunk or two today." He stated as he removed his pants. She stared once again at his muscular body and had too shake herself out of her daydream. Her love for Sasuke didn't restrict her from looking at others right? She turned her back to him and quickly stripped to her underwear. Her mind went back to her mother and her recommendations. She felt too close for comfort in such a state of undress.  
  
"Let's get into the water." He walked to the surface and advanced until he would have had about waist deep. He remained on the surface however. He then explained to her the basic principle of the exercise. Sakura made the rat seal and gathered charka to her feet. She put her foot on the surface but she had used too much charka to do so. Upon touching the water, her energy reacted to the liquid and clung to it like a magnet. However, Sakura couldn't move at all for a second, she released her control to lower the quantity of chakra. She sank a bit and, with the Rat seal still in place, she tried to adjust the exact dose.  
  
'Pops was right, Sakura get those things even better then Sasuke. His Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are better then hers but her control and genjutsu are better then his. My own control seems better but I'm still leaking too much Chakra. She very well be the best on our team for the technic side." Naruto thought. 'When she gets the hang of this, I'll teach it to her. Dad told me to teach the amaguriken and not make them drop dead but if she can learn the dual taijutsu style of the Saotome Ryu. . .Even just the basics and then we're in business here. The advanced part will be hard but still possible.'  
  
Sakura was already standing on the water but it was quite harder to advance. Depending on the shallowness of the water, she had to adjust the flow of charka to her limbs to remain standing and stable. Her exercise continued until she lost her concentration and fell face first into the water. She sputtered a bit but took back the rat seal and concentrated once again. Naruto simply sank into the water hoping it was cold enough for him. A wet Sakura in her undies, even if they weren't becoming transparent with water, was just too much for his adolescent mind. They continued the exercise in silence until Sakura could walk halfway to Naruto without sinking. They then went to diner.  
  
"I wonder what Kakashi sensei is teaching Sasuke-kun." Sakura asked.  
  
Naruto shrugged and simply took a another scoop of his ramen.  
  
"Who knows, he's responsible for his training officially so whatever he can I guess." Naruto said between bites.  
  
Sasuke and Kakashi were seated in the lotus, face to face. Sasuke was in a meditative state while Kakashi explained to him the use of the sharingan.  
  
"Under normal circumstances, you would have learned in the heat of the action but we can't take that chance right now Sasuke. There are exercises you can do to focus the power of the sharingan. I know them but they're useless to me." He then explained the charka focus in the inner eye and the pupils. He was surprised when Sasuke opened his eyes and both were invested with the fan of the sharingan.  
  
'He's truly a genius. With a lot of training he may be able to actually beat Itachi' Kakashi thought as he coached him. Sasuke was very near the awakening of his latent powers and all he really needed was a fierce battle. Something Kakashi was unable to give him with his present situation.  
  
"Sasuke, you can join Naruto and Sakura for the rest of the day." Kakashi said as he got up. Sasuke got out of his meditative state and lost the red pupils. He turned towards the forest to rejoin with the others.  
  
"Be careful, we don't want anyone to be attacked." Kakashi warned him. Sasuke answered with a grunt.  
  
'So. . .those are the secrets of the sharingan. If that kid truly is an Uchiha then we need to get rid of him fast.' A figure in the shadows thought. It looked at the direction taken by the gennin and then at the jounin retreating on his crutch. There was no real doubt that taking on Kakashi would be foolish even in his weakened state however, the unawake Sasuke would do quite well. He blurred into the foliage in hot pursuit and barely dodged a kunai thrown at him.  
  
"Get out. I know you're there." Sasuke called. "You're sloppier then Naruto." Wich was the truth since Naruto would have given him a hard time. He was a trickster and was quite adept at running away and hiding.  
  
"You're comparing me to that blondie?" he called before he landed from his perch after throwing a shuriken at his adversary. Sasuke move his head to the side dodging the throwing star quickly. Kohaku was standing tall, at 17 years old he was 6 feet high and could easily weild Zabusa's sword if he wanted to but he was proefficient with his own weapons. A pair of katanas which he drew from their sheaths. "I feel insulted."  
  
He dashed forward, trying to get a slash across Sasuke who dodged once again, first by crouching the beheading slash and then by rolling to the side avoiding the blow destined to cut him in half. He had to resort to blocking the third blow with his forearm using the weights as protection but was rewarded with a jolt of electricity.  
  
"How does it feel to get hit by thunder. Those blades are a little family heirloom. They use the electrical energy of raiken no jutsu to actually shock the opponent. Had you been cut you would be dead." He was actually gloating but Sasuke got back on his feet and nimbly kicked the weapon out of his adversary's hands. The second sword was blocked in much the same way as the first but this time it was a freezing arm that made Sasuke recoil. His left arm was burnt while his right one was frozen solid. He concentrated his charka into his arm to make the numbness go away as he dodged the follow up swing aimed for his neck.  
  
"If I even graze your neck it's the end." He proclaimed as he used both of his hands to weild the weapon. Sasuke caught sight of the other weapon and smiled. He broke into a sprint and seized the hilt. He wasn't prepared for the jolt of lightning that hit him.  
  
"How. . ." He asked as he fell to his knees.  
  
"Do you really think I let my weapons for anyone to use? I'm not that stupid." He said. Sasuke once again struggled to his feet. His vision wasn't clear enough for him to see more then a blurr running towards him.  
  
'It can't end like this.' He thought as the cold eyes of his brother made their way into his mind as he closed his own eyes. 'I am not weak. I will show him. I will avenge my family and kill him with my bare hands.' He opened his eyes again and the world had completely changed to his perspective. The world was going in slow motion and he understood what had just happened. He grinned as he dodged the blows destined to kill him easily and looked his nemesis in the eyes.  
  
"Sharingan." That single word, spoken by Sasuke made his adversary shudder. Those unsettling red eyes were now analysing his every moves and Kohaku knew every techniques would be copied and thrown at him immediately. He opted for the safer option and quickly sheathed his swords and used a teleportation technique to get away before Sasuke could actually attack him. The Uchiha descendant made the same seal as his enemy and teleported to Tazuna's house. His sensei was the mission leader and he had to report to him.  
  
Zabusa was resting at the moment. His faithful team of gennin, who had passed the exam to be chunin long ago, had followed him in his desertion. The mist contry was still in turmoil and rumors of a new kage were surfacing even in this tiny country. His goal of evincing the tyranny was achieved, even if he had just been a catalyst it was enough to satisfy him. as long as a rehabilitation order wasn't put into effect he was still on the run but from what he had been told the leader of kuri no kuni was one of his old comrades who had shared his views. Haku had saved the old man from death at his hands and was now ordering Sonja to get the herbs they needed. The boy was the leading type and the other two listened to him most of the time.  
  
"How could that boy hit those points." He asked his second who smiled.  
  
"He was extraordinarly fast. He seemed to be the leader of the team and also the most powerful in terms of charka. He acted as dead and bid his time. Then he actually created enough kage bunshin to defend the target, his team mates and fool us with henge no jutsu. He then switched to high level taijutsu and hit two of your tenketsu which plunged you in a lethargy. If it wasn't for his brutal style I would have deemed him a Hyuga from konoha but he's just too violent for that." Haku always was the better analyser of the group. His innate innocence helped him in that department. Zabuza knew a bit more then his old disciple and thought of a similar encounter years before. It was one of the few failures he had encountered and he was glad to still have his life afterwards. The fighting styles were similar in both brutality and finesse.  
  
"Saotome. . .He must be his son. . ." He poundered a few seconds. "Haku. When we battle them again. Don't do anything that could provoke that boy unless I have Kakashi finished. He's too much for you and the others. 'He could be too much for me. . .' He thought. Haku nodded and looked at the door where Kohaku appeared.  
  
"I know the secret of the sharingan." He announced with a smirk.  
  
Naruto and Sakura were now about to start training again. Sakura was getting better and better and could now slowly walk on the surface of the water. When she could dash on it she would be ready to start the katas he wanted her to learn.  
  
"Naruto. . .How come you fainted after the last battle. I mean you're a stamina freak. It's just not possible to put you down." She said. His control over Chakra looked better then her own yet he leaked it in large quantity.  
  
"That's. . .I don't really know. Doing things like water walking and tree climbing comes easy to me but when I use a technique I leak a part of the energy I summon wether I want to or not. It's like I have way too much for me to handle." He explained. "Kage bunshin is what really made me faint. It evenly divides the charka within my body and creates another body. Each time it's like I lose half my strength but gain an ally. When it disappears, I gain back a part of it's strength but not all of it." He was enouncing the theory behind the technique like a scholar. "I wouldn't teach it to you or Sasuke because. . .well it usually kills you if you can't do it." He looked gravely at the ground and got up.  
  
"Naruto. . ."She trailled off.  
  
"Let's get back to training anyway. My dad said it was probably because of puberty or something. Thanks for the concern Sakura-chan." He said as he turned towards the water. He reached the exact same spot he had used for her to reach and turned to her with his goofy smile in place.  
  
When Sasuke had appeared in a swirl of leafs, Kakashi was quite sure it was an attack but when he saw the red pupils still active, one with one fan and another with two, he sighted in relief.  
  
"It seems you learned the sharingan faster then I thought. You know it's basic abilities and how to activate it. It's in your blood. There are other uses for them but not until you gain the three branched eyes. The four branched lets you see the field of battle better while it's the two branched sharingan which lets you copy techniques." Kakashi repeated the basic use of his pupils. There were more uses but Sasuke was a genius and would learn them by observation or instinct. "You van resume your training with Naruto if you like." He said. Sasuke actually looked at him.  
  
"I'd rather continue with you until we get back to Konoha." He said. Kakashi smiled slightly under his mask.  
  
"I suppose that could be possible arranged with Naruto as long as you practice the Amaguriken I guess." Kakashi was quite happy with this development. He was one of the few ninjas with practical knowledge of the sharingan and Sasuke the last one with the genes so it was logical for him to ask guidance for a time. "We'll start right away."  
  
Sakura was exhausted. Naruto could be as much a slave driver as his father. Once she could walk normally on the water, he had started her on a basic taijutsu kata as he started a weird one which made no sense to her. As though it was missing something.  
  
Back in konohagure, Hikari was talking with her husband about Naruto.  
  
"He took off with some of your scrools again Ranma." She was scolding.  
  
"I know, they are kata scrools. Nothing major but I wanted him to take them they were obvious anyway." He had a lopsided grin plastered on his face.  
  
"We have to talk Ranma." That simple sentence was the start of a panic attack within any male and Ranma was no exception. He just had a better time hiding it then many others. "It's about Naruto. . ." That calmed his fears mostly at least.  
  
"What's up with the boy? He was doing great when he left." He said, still dense in many ways even after years of parental and marital life.  
  
"He's starting to ask himself where he came from." She said, a frown upon her features.  
  
"I'm going to see the Hokage about that. . .He's the only one I know who could tell him all about his origins." He looked serious. "I have a mission anyway, some Yakuza to get rid of." He said. Hikari nodded at him as he got up from his seat. He called the children, hugged them and left after he kissed his wife. He stepped towards the mission center and the Hokage's office.  
  
Later that night, Naruto was carrying Sakura back to Tazuna's place. She had progressed rapidly and was about ready to start learning some jutsu with her level of control. He grinned to himself as he knew the rest of the week would be spent working on ameliorating her weak areas. Control was always a given with her and all she needed was body strength and endurance to support this control before she could start learning jutsus. Her Genjutsu would have to be learned from Kakashi of maybe his mother would help. He and his father could only conteract a jutsu most of the time in this cathegory. Ranma and Naruto had no ability whatsoever in the use of genjutsu. Countering, no problem, using, impossible. His mother was something else though and his sister was already learning while Ryoma wasn't ready yet. Thinking about his mother made him release a sigh.  
  
"What's up kid?" Tazuna asked him.  
  
"Just thinking about my parents." Naruto answered with a look of sadness.  
  
"Homesick huh?" The old man said as he took a swing of his bottle.  
  
"Not the Saotomes. . .my real parents. I'm asking myself what they were like at the moment. . .Why am I telling you this anyway? I'm turning into something of a sissy!" He exclaimed his smile returning. It was forced though and Tazuna saw right through it.  
  
The rest of the way was silent and Sakura poundered over what she had just eared. Naruto wasn't originally a Saotome. She knew that but she didn't know it affected him that much. He was always seen with a large carefree smile on his face or a confident look. Was it just all a facade or a mask to hide his true feelings.  
  
'I love them a lot but. . .it's not the same thing. . .' Sakura swore she eared him talk to himself but even through her half closed eyelids she could see his mouth firmly shut.  
  
'What the hell is going on?' She asked herself.  
  
Back at Konohagure. The Haruno couple was quietly at home eating supper. No conversation, not a sound, not even a word was spoken through the meal but either deep comprehension between the two made them anticipate the others thoughts or it was a very practiced drill of synchronisation. Mrs Haruno's right arm shuddered a bit and she spoke to her husband.  
  
"It's started." She said with finality.  
  
"I was expecting it. She's 16 afterall. You know what your father told us when it happened. First love are always the last ones for your family." He said and sighed afterwards. "We have to go see Saotome-san to tell him what happened." He said.  
  
"It could be that Uchiha." She told him. He shook his head and looked down.  
  
"It's most certainly Naruto. Uchiha is a cruch. He's just catchy to the eye. Naruto, while not as. . .dashing, has certain qualities she's going to look for instinctively. You know it better then I do. It's your family's hidden blood-limit" He didn't look overjoyed at the fact that his daughter was actually going through this kind of thing. He had hoped she wouldn't be affected by her mother's bloodline and be more normal but it seemed she had just started the process without knowing it. He took his phone and dialled the Saotome's number. There was serious business to be done before they returned. He just hoped it didn't turn into a jutsu wedding. (The equivalent of a shotgun wedding)  
  
Everyone was around the table and eating their fill. Or at least tried to. Sakura was mostly left alone by Naruto while Sasuke attacked her and defended against the blonde. She ate at a more dignified pace but still managed to swipe some food from Naruto, not bothering to attack Sasuke since He had his hands full with Naruto. Once the meal was over. Sasuke simply stepped outside and once again exercised himself in front of the fire. He was getting faster and faster with each attempt but still burnt his hands. Naruto looked at him with an half smile. Sasuke was the impatient kind, just like himself most of the time, when it came to getting stronger. The Uchiha heir was wearing his weighed bracers and his special vest as he practiced. Naruto wasn't worried unless sakura tried something like that. Sasuke was lither then himself, built naturally for speed and skill while Naruto was strength, power and endurance. Sakura was lithe and intelligent. However Sasuke was building his strength and power where Naruto had been drilled on skill and speed for a long time. Sakura only needed a better physical condition to actually be on the same level as the two. Her control was perfect while his was lacking since his battle over the forbidden scroll. Back there something had flipped within him and his previously finely tuned control was running amok. The control exercises didn't help, meditation was. . .something Naruto considered as nap time and running out of chakra didn't help but did hurt like hell. After a little workout he was actually tired and they had barely started. Kakashi didn't look quite better then himself at the moment.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei, stay put alright." Sakura chided their teacher as she worked a balm she could make with herbs she had taken from Konohagure. She sighed and whipped a bit of sweat from her forehead. "I'll need to get some herbs tomorrow I'll have to miss morning practice Naruto." She told her sempai.  
  
"I could go for you." He offered but she looked at him plainly. "Do you know what you're looking for?" She asked.  
  
"Umm. . .nope." He scratched the back of his head like Ranma always did. The gesture made Sakura actually think him rather cute. "Sorry. . ." He said sheepishly.  
  
That single word did it. Something inside of her broke and she launched herself at him. Naruto got ready for the shock of his life and was well served. Lips touched lips and the world started spinning for the young gennin. Never had he been kissed by someone like that before. His mother and siblings did give him peeks on the cheek but this was too much for his mind to take on all at once, even if it was a very simple action and as such he found himself in autopilot, acting by instinct.  
  
Instinct is a very hormonal being and a teenager is already a being of hormones so to say that he reacted to the kiss would be an understatement. Sakura had just realised what she had done and the look of surprise on his face as she pulled back that Naruto tackled her and kissed her vigorously. The being of hormones, whether he would admit it or not was also full of complexes, especially an attention seeking complex which resulted in a need for human contact and recognition, as such the action of kissing was deemed necessary to the being and the idea or even the concept of stopping was as foreign as a gaijin for Naruto at that moment.  
  
Sakura never even had a chance to say a word when Naruto jumped on her. His body was pressing against hers and their lips were mashed together. It wasn't how she had envisioned her first kiss. She had wanted it to be with Sasuke and romantic but this was spontaneous, unexpected but yet it was also perfect. Sakura recoiled at the thought of perfection and jumped away from Naruto. The blonde ninja looked dazed and dissoriented. He looked at Sakura and shook his confusion.  
  
"I-I-I never. . .Naruto I-I didn't. . ."  
  
"I understand Sakura. . .I'm sorry." Naruto turned to the door and walked towards the edge of the water. He looked dejected and quite depressed. Sakura ran to her room, separated from the other's and cried herself to sleep just as the inner Sakura talked into her mind. 'I can't believe I did that! I just kissed Naruto and . . . I liked it . . .' Sakura then thought to herself. 'I shouldn't have left him he must feel awful . . .' She fell into slumber with this very thought.  
  
Naruto was looking at the water from his position when someone walked behind him.  
  
"Something bothering you?" The person asked him.  
  
"Yeah but I don't want to talk about it." He answered. He knew who was behind him but wouldn't say anything about his identity.  
  
"It's a girl right?" The voice asked. "They're mysterious creatures eh?"  
  
"One minute they're kissing you and the next they say something stupid you can't understand." Naruto said.  
  
"So it's a girl! I knew it." The smirk was audible in the voice and Naruto was almost tempted to turn around and scowl. "Sakura only needs time, she always had this idea about Sasuke so it's only natural she's reluctant. Give her time." The voice adviced.  
  
"Thanks, worst case scenario she'll hate me!" Naruto exclaimed.  
  
"No, worst case scenario you end up married when you get back to Konohagure." The voice said and just as it said this, the presence dissapeared.  
  
"Thanks." Naruto got up and turned to the house and vanished inside. A shadow inside a tree looked down towards the house.  
  
"Good night Naruto."  
  
Back in Konohagure.  
  
"I hope you have reasons good enough to pull me out of an S class mission Haruno-san." Ranma was sitting in front of Sakura's parents across a ceremonial tea table.  
  
"It is Saotome-san. You see, my familly has a distinctive bloodlin ability." Ranma looked at Mrs Haruno interrested. Most of these abilities were easily copiable with the use of well controled ki or enough skill and training. "The women of my familly can, when they get old enough, read the thoughts of one and only one person. . ."  
  
"Their lovers I'd wager." Ranma had encountered few real unaytainable abilities but this was one of them. If they were willing to tell him about it though. . .It meant Naruto and Sakura were. . . "You think Naruto and Sakura are. . ."  
  
"More then think, we know about it. Even if the connection is only with my husband, I still feel my daughter a bit. The thug of attraction towards one of the two and reciprocal feelings is quite distinctive. It's possible they'll need to start living together when they come back or even a wedding." Mrs. Haruno was serious as she said this and looked at the equally sullen Saotomes.  
  
"If I didn't know Sasuke I'd be a bit sceptical about this." Ranma deadpanned.  
  
"Yes, that boy is made out of steel." Hikari, next to her husband remarked. "Naruto however. . .I know for a fact he at least has some sort of crush for your daughter."  
  
"We were thinking that an engagement would be an acceptable proposition in this present situation." Mr Haruno suggested.  
  
"This. . .complicates several things. Naruto may be under our care but an engagement isn't up to us. We were about to ask the third to tell him about his family." Hikari objected. "And reinstate him in his original clan, he's the last member you know."  
  
Both Haruno's looked down a bit and nodded.  
  
"If they really are bounding, they'll do the natural thing." Ranma stated and thoroughly scared the Harunos.  
  
"If they do I hope you know a good priest because they'll be having kids in no time." Ranma didn't ear who said this as he hit his head repetitively on the table. Such messes had been better left in Nerima or his youth before his marriage an soon after. It should NOT affect Naruto.  
  
End of chapter.  
  
You thought it was Ranma talking to Naruto eh? Cliffhanger time, who is this shadow, what is his role and his goals in life and most importantly, what the heck is it doing telling Naruto how to get girls? Shadows don't have girlfriends. 


	6. chapter 6

AN : I had to restart this for a third time from scratch so it's been a very long time.  
  
Disc:see chapter 1  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Naruto was watching actually lying in an open field of the forest. He had followed Sakura and she had caught him. In her confused state of mind she had lashed out at him. He rubbed his head and found a boy his approximate age looming over him. he seemed relaxed but tense at the same time.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, just a bit shaken." He rubbed the soft spot on his forehead where Sakura had hit him and looked closer at the boy. He looked almost feminine but the little bit of subtle betrayed him as male. There was something unsettling about him but Naruto couldn't put his finger on it. "I'm Naruto, what's your name?" He asked.  
  
"I'm Haku. . ." He took an herb from the ground and put it in his basket. Naruto narrowed his eyes, where had he eared that name before recently. "You're a ninja aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, and I'm gonna be the best ever to get the name of Hokage and people will recognise me for it, not for anything else!" He said with pride and gusto.  
  
"You want that for yourself or are you doing so for someone?" Haku asked Naruto.  
  
"Huh?" Naruto had launched in his usual tirade and was trying to rewind what Haku had said.  
  
"I mean, do you do it for your own self or do you have something greater then glory?" Haku asked serious as he picked his medical herbs.  
  
"The name of Hokage is given to the strongest ninja of the leaf." Naruto said. "The ninja who bears the name has only one mission, to protect the village of Konohagure. Also, my teacher said the duty of those who are strong is to protect the weaker people." He was stating something Ranma had taught him as well as his 3 different stays in the academy.  
  
"That's good, I was taught that you're truly strong when you defend someone dear to you." Haku said as he got up. He left the clearing and Naruto called to him.  
  
"I know that, that's why I'm strong." Naruto said as he walked towards the other end of the clearing.  
  
"Maybe we'll see each other again." Haku said mysteriously.  
  
"I'm sure of it." Naruto answered as he jumped to the trees.  
  
Naruto arrived at the construction site to find Sakura training by herself in the techniques he had taught her the day before, she was getting better and better and he watched silently as she walked on the surface. She was steadier then the previous day but she couldn't go as far because she was troubled.  
  
"Oi, Sakura-chan!" He called, she turned to him abruptly and fell through the water as she lost her concentration.  
  
"Na-Naruto! You surprised me!" She said as she regained the beach. She focussed once again and restarted. It was getting harder for Naruto to concentrate on training then the previous day. Sakura was in her sports underwear and quite wet. He swallowed and immersed himself into the waters like he had done the previous day. The kiss was still fresh in his mind and her curves, oh those curves, that had been pressed against him and. . . Naruto plunged his whole body into the cold liquid hoping to calm himself and his hormones. Sakura was ¾ of the way to him at the moment and walking slowly nearer.  
  
"You can do it Sakura-chan!" He encouraged.  
  
'Why is he so distracting! He's frustrating, irritating and annoying! Why is he able to distract me like that! Why did he have to kiss so damn good that bastard! He's so damn muscular and that body! ARRRG! He's just not Sasuke! I don't want to be falling for him!' Inner Sakura screamed in indignation.  
  
"DAMMIT!" Sakura screamed as she sinked once again. "Why?" she asked towards Naruto with tears in her eyes. She was going towards him still and Naruto looked like a deer caught in the headlights when she got close enough to hug him and hit him at the same time. He had never dealt with crying girls except for his little sister and this was totally different. He could ear Sakura mutter silent negations that made no sense. "I don't want to." She repeated over and over again as she hit his chest lightly. He tried to sooth her as best as he could but couldn't find anything to say to a crying girl. Even his father was at a loss as to what was the thing to do when it came to women most of the time.  
  
"It's okay Sakura-chan, it's alright." He felt stupid for repeating that but after a minute she finished sobbing and stopped hitting him.  
  
"It's not okay you moron, I can't be. . .you're not Sasuke and I can only. . ." She was trying to tell him something but Naruto couldn't really understand the implications here. All that he knew was that Sakura was both pressing herself against him and struggling to get away. That's how it felt it was for her and he let her go to make up her own mind. She took hold of his soaked muscle shirt he had decided to wear and stayed still as she fought her emotions.  
  
"Sakura-chan. . ." Naruto started but Sakura interrupted him.  
  
"Let's just get back to training. I need to think about all of this." 'Whatever this is' she thought.  
  
"If that's what you want." Naruto relented. They went back to practice with earnests. Sakura seemed to put her frustration into her efforts, hoping the exhaustion would make her problems lessen while Naruto instructed her as neutrally as possible. By the time lunch came, she had made her way to Naruto by walking and was now starting to get a feel of going faster. She was getting exhausted and Naruto stopped the session.  
  
"Enough Sakura, you'll exhaust your chakra if you do anymore. We'll eat lunch and start on your forms and some exercises to boost your reserves." He rose out of the water and walked up to her. He extended his hand to support her and she just took it without thinking about anything. She immediately felt something off about herself, something tickling at the border of her mind. It expanded a bit and she clearly heard Naruto's voice.  
  
'Sakura-chan looks so hot! Badthoughts!badthoughts!' He smiled at her as he supported her. She shook her head, he hadn't said a thing yet she eared him perfectly.  
  
"Did you say anything Naruto?" She asked just to be sure. His eyes widened as he panicked.  
  
"Did I say that aloud!?!" He asked in a shout as was habitual.  
  
"Did you say what? I don't think I saw you talk." Sakura was in shock, was she showing signs of a bloodline ability emerging all of a sudden, could she be gifted with ESP or something like that. It could be playing with her head and make her feel weird. 'YES! That's it! It was just those stupid feelings perturbing my brain and making it like I liked Naruto!' Inner Sakura screamed in glee.  
  
Naruto flinched as he actually eared Sakura saying her feelings were stupid. He didn't understand how he could though. 'Maybe it's my imagination, she didn't say anything. Yeah, just a manifestation of my worst fears.'  
  
Sakura turned to him instantly with her eyes wide as saucers.  
  
'Do you. . .do you hear me Naruto?' She asked with her mind, finally understanding how it worked slightly.  
  
"Errrrr, are you okay Sakura? I'm right next to you so why wouldn't I ear you?" He asked. If he was going crazy at least he was hearing her voice so it wasn't that bad. Sakura's mind went crazy as she tried several times to talk with her mind to Naruto again or to perceive his thoughts but to no avail. They reached the beach and ate their lunches in silence. When the day ended, Naruto was once again dragging a barely conscious Sakura back to Tazuna's place.  
  
This time however, her mind was in so much of a jumbled mess that she fell asleep in his arms.  
  
"You pushed her too hard Naruto." Kakashi said when they passed the doorframe.  
  
"She asked me to push her hard so I had to respect her wishes, if I hadn't she would have done so anyway Kakashi-senseï, and with the way you pushed Sasuke. . ." The ebony aires boy was puking his diner in an obstinate attempt to get more energy as he ate more.  
  
"I'm putting her to bed for now, she'll sleep the night I'm sure." Naruto went to the room she shared with Tsunami while they stayed there. He put her on her futon and left the room, he passed Inari's and saw the boy looking at the sea, he sat next to him without being invited. He peeked at the picture and associated the tear with the one from the picture in the dining hall.  
  
"Your father huh?" Inari looked at Naruto surprised.  
  
"Who cares anyway, he died uselessly." Inari said.  
  
"Do you like to wallow in self pity? That's pathetic." He got up as Inari glared at him.  
  
"What would you know? He died uselessly fighting Gatou just like you'll die soon!" He exclaimed. Naruto turned to him with a feral look in his eyes that almost made the young boy wet his pants.  
  
"You damn brat, just continue crying like a damn drama queen from a soap opera. You know nothing of the true harshness of life you little punk. You at least have a father to grieve." Naruto turned back to the door. "I had nothing, no one would look at me. I have family now but I know what real hardship is like. Your father died then live up to him you whimp." He left the room and a crying Inari. He went for his own supper and Kakashi left the table to give his speech to Inari.  
  
Three days later, Sakura was given a break off training, Kakashi was almost ready for Battle and in the worst case Zabusa was going to be as well. Naruto however decided to go all out in a forest clearing with his father's techniques. He took a couple of heavy rocks hoping to weigh himself down further and released his chakra as much as he could. He wasn't prepared for the massive amount that rushed to his muscles, it was enough to shatter the rocks he had strapped and rip his clothes apart. The weights fell to the ground and he shrugged. He burst into motions which would have seemed random to the untrained eye. He was in fact boosting his own speed by using his motions instead of wasting the power he put into them. He wanted to exhaust himself as much as he could before he started on his jutsus. He then got a brilliant idea.  
  
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" He divided himself in two and both grinned as they went through various stances. Naruto dashed at himself and a battle where he fought himself was joined, it was followed by numerous similar attempts against varying numbers of himself.  
  
Sasuke had followed him hoping to make some of Naruto's jutsus his own but he was unable to copy to way his chakra gathered.  
  
Sakura was hidden somewhere above both Naruto and Sasuke, she watched as her crush tried to copy the techniques and failed. Her eyes, however, were drawn to Naruto, his shirt was ripped apart and his pants were mostly destroyed showing him in another way. He was wet with perspiration and it made him almost desirable.  
  
Kakashi was looking as well, hidden from all his pupils and looking at Naruto.  
  
'If you go and work so hard. . .' He thought.  
  
The next morning, Naruto was sleeping in.  
  
'. . .You'll be burned out.' Kakashi finished as he turned to his other two pupils.  
  
"We'll let Naruto sleep in today, he trained all day yesterday. We'll be alright by ourselves." Kakashi announced.  
  
'YES! Time alone with Sasuke-kun!' Inner Sakura celebrated somewhat less loudly then usual. She didn't seem as enthusiastic as she had before. They left the house to get to the bridge.  
  
Naruto screamed when he woke up.  
  
"ARRRRG! I OVERSLEPT!" He dressed and seized a small lunch before he jumped to the trees to rejoin the bridge. Half way there, he saw the bloodied carcass of a wild boar. He landed, suspicious of what had happened.  
  
'Definitely a bladed weapon, two guys with katanas, they were either coming from Tazuna's place or going there. If I had to put my money on either it would be a no brainer.' He jumped to a branch and looked at both ways, the bridge was getting attacked, that was sure but if the house was attacked and they took an hostage it would just turn to the worst. He took his decision, the house had priority since the rest of his team was at the bridge. He jumped towards Tazuna's residence.  
  
He arrived there to find Inari charging two nameless samurai goons. He grinned as the boy finally showed his backbone. He acted to save the boy, it would have been a waste for him to find some courage only to die. Instead of slashing through flesh, the samurais dented their swords on a pad of metal. Naruto was holding the hatless Inari and his mother just behind them when he turned.  
  
"Good job delaying them Inari. I made a mistake the other day, you are someone strong." The Samurai turned but Naruto was already moving, not really in the mood useless chatter. They were down before they knew what happened.  
  
A little bird landed on Naruto's palm and turned into a scrool. He looked surprised as he read the mission order. His eyes turned dark as he tied the two goons.  
  
"Watch them Inari, the others are at the bridge and you can bet they'll have a fight on their hands." He looked at the boy who nooded almost dumbly before Naruto dashed to the trees once again, he let loose his weights to gain more speed and pumped just a bit of chakra into his legs.  
  
While this was happening, the remainder of team seven was fighting at the Naruto bridge. It had begun with sasuke dispatching a dozen of Zabuza clones. The team appeared through the mist, Zabuza right behind his three former students.  
  
"Still missing your little sleeping beauty I see." Zabuza smirked behind his mask, without this saotome, they had a normal genin team to fight.  
  
"I'll take Kakashi, you have the others." He said.  
  
"I want the kunoichi, she bruised me last time, it's my turn." Sonja looked almost maniacal as she eyed the green haired kunoichi. Sakura didn't waver as she prepared for battle.  
  
"You two. . .our mission isn't to take out those shinobi, we have to protect Tazuna. If you can get out of here, take the opportunity and rejoin Naruto you may stand a chance if you are as a full group." Kakashi knew it was stupid, they couldn't get away, Sasuke was too centered on the battle and Sakura had no chance if they double teamed her. Zabuza thickned the mist that was already rolling in and started to battle Kakashi. Sasuke and Kohaku charged one another as Sonja approached Sakura cautiously trying to find a way to break through her defences. Haku was in the back, ready to kill anytime.  
  
Sasuke hadn't activated his sharingan but he had released his weights. Now lighter and thus faster and stronger, he had no real problem. He dashed so fast that Sakura could barely follow him. Kohaku lost both his swords and fell victim to his Taijutsu. He was on his knees before Sonja or Haku could charge him.  
  
"Sonja, take care of the kunoichi. This one is too much for you." Haku warned as the girl used kawarimi to get her teamate out of harms way. Haku stood proud in front of the Uchiha. They charged and joined battle. Haku blocked the first kunai strike and composed his water needle technique. Sasuke jumped using chakra control and launched his own projectiles which Haku dodged. He landed behind the masked boy and attacked. Haku dodged the first swipe of sasuke's kunai and barely did the second but his third heel strike met a resounding hit.  
  
'Incredible, he managed to take Haku in speed.' Zabuza was surprised.  
  
"Surprised? Don't be, Sasuke is the most gifted of his class, Sakura is the smartest and Naruto. . ." Kakashi smiled mysteriously. "He's the most unpredictable ninja of the village."  
  
"You have to be careful Haku, he's not a normal genin." Zabuza instructed.  
  
"You're right Zabuza-san." He said as he made a serie of seals, Sasuke felt the icy presence around him but was surrounded. "Makyou Hyoshou" Haku said as the demonic mirrors surrounded Sasuke. He entered a mirror and the battle started anew. With Haku inside his mirrors and Sakura about to get jumped by Sonja, Zabuza started to fight with earnests. They had only been trading weapon blows but now Zabuza was unleashing his Kirigakure no jutsu.  
  
'With this deep mist I can't use Sharringan.' Kakashi thought.  
  
"Kohaku was right then, the sharringan really is just a parlor trick." Zabuza was smirking under his mask. He swipped at Kakashi who didn't have time to dodge and received a long gash.  
  
Outside the mist, Sakura had her own troubles, fighting normally was already tough but with protecting Tazuna-san it was even tougher. Souja attacked not Sakura but was aiming for the bridge builder. The old man was already flat on his back as he tried to make himself as invisible as possible.  
  
Sakura released her weights but Sonja took the opportunity to throw a hard punch which caught her under the jaw. Sakura was almost sent flying but by exercising chakra control under her feet she remained almost immobile. She countered with a left hook which sent the other girl back quite a bit.  
  
Meanwhile, Sasuke had activated his Sharingan and was still having a rough time of fighting Haku, the Mist shinobi was faster then him and the sharingan could barely follow. His body was far from ready for this kind of speed and the incessant passing from one mirror to another was quite unnerving.  
  
Sonja was smiling, with the advantage of either attacking the target or the bodyguard she had the undisputable advantage in this battle. She attacked Sakura with a series of different projectiles and slashes as she sent other attacks towards Tazuna. Sakura was still wearing her weights this time, accustomed to the familiar burden and she didn't feel hampered in the least. Those lumps of metal were protecting her from the kunais and shurikens that Sonja used.  
  
"I tire of this." She said through the mist. She composed a jutsu and Sakura saw the opportunity. She released her weights and dashed to Tazuna. Sonja was far from finished with composing her jutsu but Sakura was about to turn tail and run. She didn't have the time to get to her.  
  
Haku saw the same thing and sent a hail of neddles towards Sakura making her want to collapse.  
  
"She was mine Haku!" Sonja shouted to her teamate. An inhuman scream filled the air. She felt shivers run down her spine as an evil source of chakra exploded from where Sakura was on her knees.  
  
'What evil Chakra!' The mist nins thought as Kakashi frowned with only one word on his mind.  
  
'Kyuuby. . .' He knew he had to hurry but even with the summoning scroll a possessed Naruto would be impossible to defeat if he was motivated enough.  
  
"Your pupils made a mistake Zabuza." Kakashi announced to the missing nin.  
  
"They hurt one of your pupils Kakashi, that happens when shinobi battle, we're tools of death." He was smirking like a shark.  
  
"You may be called the demon Zabuza. . ." Kakashi trailled off, serious like hell as he drew his summoning scroll and started the ingei to the technique. "But they just provoked a real demon. . ."  
  
Naruto was running to the battle scene only to be greeted by Sakura. He immediately knew she had been in a battle. Her weights were off and he could see the blood leaking from various wounds.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" He exclaimed.  
  
"Na-ru-to. . ." She struggled to say this. Naruto then took notice of the needles peeking out of her neck and other muscles. She took another step forward, still dragging Tazuna off the battlefield and Naruto met her before she made a second one. Tazuna dropped to the ground, now unconscious, and Sakura into his arms.  
  
"Sakura. . .come on Sakura. . .don't you die on me Sakura. . ." He pleaded silently. Tears slipped out of his eyes and he screamed like an animal towards the heavens.  
  
"I don't have the time for this anymore." Haku announced as he charged an attack from within his mirrors. Sasuke was able to follow the Ingei but not the technique. He narrowed his eyes, he had had his doubts about it but it made no doubt anymore, Haku was from an advanced bloodline. "Suiton, Hyousou no Jutsu!" (ice sculpture technique)  
  
Even as Sasuke released the weights on his vest he knew it was to no avail. The mirror right above him had melted leaving him soaked and it was already hardening. He made a quick serie of seals and put his fingers to his lips. He poured all of his chakra into the technique hoping to free himself and damage the boy. It wasn't as successful as he had hoped but it freed him. It wasn't enough for him to evade the rain of needles that pierced him.  
  
'I'm wasting too much chakra.' Haku though as he dispelled his ice mirrors. He turned to the source of chakra, it was intense and it oddly felt evil. He had felt killing intent but never like that. He prepared for the battle of his life.  
  
Sakura was somewhere dark, it looked like a sewer actually.  
  
"Hello!" Her shout echoed through the virtual walls of the place as she moved forward. It felt so cold and lonely. "Anybody!" She shouted again, this time her cries were answered by a bestial growl from a bit deeper. She moved towards the sound and stopped in front of a gigantic gate with a seal stamped in front of it. Sakura jumped back as eyes that were purely evil gazed at her.  
  
"So. . .you're the pathetic human female my vessel has chosen as his mate? What a joke!" The animal growled. Sakura took an instinctive stepp backwards at the inhuman voice and shivered as she felt the killing intent.  
  
"What are you? Where am I?" She asked in a frightened voice.  
  
"You're inside my mind Sakura-chan." Naruto's voice sounded behind her. She turned to the boy who looked extremely sad and angered at the same time.  
  
"Naruto?" She asked as she looked at him. He moved in front of her and faced the animal she had yet to identify.  
  
"Trying to take over my mind are you?" He asked.  
  
"If it wasn't for this seal, you would be dead by now boy!" He growled. Naruto growled back at the beast but didn't flinch. He even turned his back to it.  
  
"You're just as pissed as I am that they hurt Sakura-chan." He said as he walked towards the girl. The beast growled again.  
  
"Me? The mighty Kyuuby angered because they hurt a human girl?" He asked his container. "Don't be stupid boy, she could just as well die and I wouldn't care!"  
  
Sakura gasped at the identity of the caged being, it now had the distinctive figure of a fox.  
  
"Naruto?" She asked the boy who looked at her sadly now, he was sure she would reject him now that she knew.  
  
"The demon wasn't destroyed Sakura-chan. It was sealed inside a new born baby by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. . .me." He said, the pink haired girl gasped at the admission as the demon smirked. It feasted upon their conflicting emotions. It wasn't enough to give him power but it was sustenance.  
  
Naruto frowned and turned to leave.  
  
"I don't know how you came here Sakura but you should get out. It's the first time I come here in my mind. . .I just hope you still have a body to go back to." Said as he faded. The presence of the fox disappeared and Sakura was back in the dark recesses of her own mind.  
  
Naruto had been able to talk to sakura, it had unfortunately been right in front of the Kyuuby. When he returned to reality, he was still holding her prone body, a mere second had passed between the time in his mind and the real time. He gently put her on the ground. She smelled alive but she was gravely hurt. He frowned. He could feel the terrible chgakra of the kyuuby around him. It was terrifying and invigorating at the same time. He grinned as he charged, intending on taking care of the first mist nin he saw. It was a twisted sight to behold the berserk Naruto. It was gracious and violently bestial at the same time. He moved so fast Sonja couldn't react before he had her by the neck and was choking her slowly. His vicious hold made her pass out swiftly as he burst forward towards Haku. The boy triewd the same strategy he had used against Sasuke with a twist. When Naruto took to the air he simply twisted and sent his ice shuriken right at him. The weapons were deadly accurate and would have hurt Naruto had he not been radiating as much chakra. The weapons melted and harmlessly touched the boy.  
  
Haku invoked the demonic ice mirrors and tried the same technique he had used against Sasuke but it was no use. Naruto was simply overpowering his each and every moves. He waited for the final blow as his face mask broke to reveal Haku. Naruto didn't stop his fist completely but he changed the angle of his attack just enough for the boy to simply be knocked out. He turned to where Sakura had been laying unconscious. His face loomed over hers as she woke up.  
  
"Daijobu Sakura-chan?" He asked her. He was frightened of her reaction and it showed in his eyes.  
  
She tried to speak but it wasn't possible. She tried to move but her nerves were still paralysed. Only her eyes showed any feelings, she didn't look frightened of him at the moment but that might have been because of the disorientation. Naruto turned around as he felt the gathered chakra of the Raikiri. Before Kakashi could unleash his move however, Gatou appeared at the end of the bridge to kick the inert form of Haku.  
  
"How useless, At least I have a contingency plan." He said as his mercenaries came into view.  
  
"We were betrayed." Zabuza stated. He turned to Kakashi. "We have no reason to fight like this anymore."  
  
"Hai." The silver haired ninja ordered his cute nin dogs to release the missing nin but kept the Raikiri up. It would be a waste of his precious chakra to release the technique, especially if it had a use.  
  
"We'll just have to kill every one of you useless ninjas and pillage the town as punishment. I think I'll enjoy watching as they pillage." Gatou remarked.  
  
Naruto eared it and his look turned to look menacingly at the group.  
  
"You're Gotou?" He asked. The small man nodded with his maniacal smile but it slipped off his face as Naruto burst forward. The slice at the man's head was clean and simple, he never had the time to even think about his death. Naruto moved back in his original position as his teacher looked at him. The boy was shaking now but he didn't show the turmoil of his emotion after having killed.  
  
"Naruto? Why did you kill him?" He asked his pupil. Sakura's eyes widened as she could only see the back of his head.  
  
"I received a mission order. It was an A-type mission, an assassination on Gatou." He was schooling his features but he couldn't stop the suddering from his voice. The bandits hadn't taken to it but Kakashi and Zabuza had.  
  
"First kill eh kid?" The masked ninja asked as he was turned to the threat at hand.  
  
"What is it to you no brows?" He asked back. It was all the affirmation Zabuza needed.  
  
"Well now, what do we do? Kill them all and take the place over?" One of the bandits asked with a feral grin. Naruto was the one to answer as he produced a ball of red ki.  
  
"No, you won't." He said with a frown. He jumped to the air and threw the ball at the bridge making a large indentation in the pavement and weakening it enough for the portion of the road to shatter and all of them to fall to the waters below. The show of power was enough to make sure they ran.  
  
And the battle was over.  
  
Two days later, the mist ninjas had a visitor.  
  
"So. . .we have a new Mizukage." Zabuza said from his place. A hunter nin was near him.  
  
"Hai, and he's reinstating you and your team to the village, it's one of your old team mates from your rebellion who staged his own a week ago." Zabuza nodded and got up.  
  
"Then I guess you won't mind us leaving after you, we were hurt in battle and we need a little recovery." He was weary of the man, it wasn't sure he hadn't lied about it. The hunter nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.  
  
The next day, they were gone.  
  
Naruto was the only one still fit do do the protection job for Tazuna while Sakura and Sasuke recuperated so he hadn't been able to see much of Sakura since then. He did have a few words with Kakashi though.  
  
"It's hard isn't it?" The man asked the teenager, no the man he had to remind himself.  
  
"Does it ever get easier?" He asked his teacher, normally Ranma would have answered that but he was away and his shadow was always coming and going.  
  
"Depends on wetter or not you want it to. Some ninjas just shut their feelings when it comes to killing while others keep them." He said sadly.  
  
"Why would you want to keep them, it's so unsettling, so sad and. . .and. . .disturbing." He said still shakily.  
  
"To remind yourself that killing isn't enjoyable, some take pleasure from doing things like this, they become monsters. Zabuza is one of those people, he may never say it but he cares for his team. He buried his feelings so far that he seems to enjoy killing. It's something that causes people to fear him." He said making a difference between the two ways of dealing with killing.  
  
Naruto gazed at the river and seemed to think deeply.  
  
"I almost enjoyed it." He said darkly.  
  
"Huh?" Kakashi said surprised, Naruto couldn't possibly be really like that.  
  
"When I was berserk after Haku hurt Sakura. I had power then and I almost enjoyed hurting them. But then, when I felt her waking up, just as I was about to finish Haku for good, I thought of why the villagers hate me, would I be just as bad as Kyuuby if I killed for pleasure." He said darkly.  
  
"And you spared him, it makes you better then the stupid kitsune." Kakashi stated.  
  
Naruto poundered on this for a moment and gazed still at the river, this time, it wasn't darkly, he just enjoyed the view.  
  
"I've decided sensei, I won't burry my feelings like Zabuza and neither will I keep them to rot in me. I'll make my own way as a ninja and if I need to kill again I'll do it but I won't just bottle it up afterwards." He said. "I'll just make my own nin-do and move on." He affirmed as he looked at the stars. Kakashi nodded and left him. As he passed the door he didn't turn to look but he talked to Sakura who was leaning on the wall.  
  
"You know don't you?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Yes, he's the Kyuuby's container, the seal to the demon was imposed on him as a child. You can't tell anyone you know this Sakura. It's the law and the penalty for telling someone is instant death.  
  
She swallowed a lump in her throat and moved to the door.  
  
"I need to speak with him, if only to tell him it doesn't matter." She said determined. Kakashi nodded and went away to sleep.  
  
Sakura saw Naruto, he was looking at the stars and the crescent moon over their heads.  
  
"Naruto. . ." She started.  
  
"I'd understand if you didn't want anything with me anymore Sakura-san." He said. His saying san after her name hurt more then her injuries she realised.  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it Naruto-kun." She told him as she approached. His head straightened. Sakura always called him Naruto but never with the suffix kun. "You have the demon sealed inside you. It's not as though you are to blame for the fact that it was nor does it mean you're the demon." She said. She moved to stand next to him and gazed at the scenery as well. Naruto's face changed in an instant and his smile reappeared.  
  
"Thank you. . .Sakura-chan." He whispered as her looked at the moon and stars over them.  
  
End of this chapter.  
  
An: It took timer but I have a real life and other stories you know. I'd like to thank all my reviewers for their support and say this first arc of Naruto (Naruto bridge arc) is over with, now it's either the chuunin exams or what I had planned for diverging, since there are a few story time months between the two (not really but I can change it at will) I'll probably put a bit of filler space for the next chapters. It's about someone using some forbidden jutsus that go haywire.  
  
C&C are welcomed and flames are used to strengthen my doton and morph it into a lava missile! See ya  
  
Godai 


	7. chapter 7

Saotome Naruto

Description: see other chapters, I'm not in the mood to say it again.

AN: There is a mistake during the graduation in chapter 2, it isn't Neiji and his family but Shino. The creepy gathering makes more sense now.

Someone said that Naruto was being treated unfairly and that Ranma would have stepped in. The problem here is that Ranma isn't that influential in the village politics when that happens. He's respected as a ninja but if there was to be a meeting of all the clan heads, Naruto in cannon would have more say in things in a politic kind of view then him since he's head de facto of the Uzumaki clan until we see some sort of family around him. Ranma being an outsider at the beginning has many ramifications in the village politics. It's like opposing a minor clan like Sakura's against a major one like the Hyuga. Anyone saying the Hyuga are going to lose is rather moronic. Ranma did, in fact, try to find out but he couldn't do a thing until it became ridiculous and then went to see the Hokage.

The age matter: I thought I had already cleared that one out but I'll state it again. They are 16 because I said so. Period and no discussion allowed on that statement.

Enough rambling! On with the show!

Chapter 7: Reinstatement

As team 7 left the wave country, someone was throwing a fit over in Konoha.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SENT NARUTO MY 'A' CLASS MISSION?" Ranma demanded to a very frightened dispatcher.

"It-it was a-a-an assa-assa-assa. . ." He stammered as he understood his mistake.

"AN ASSASSINATION MISSION TO A GENIN! HOW ABOUT I TAKE YOUR HEAD INSTEAD OF THE TARGETS ?" The dispatcher was a bureaucrat, he was a mere genin who just had enough brains to be able to understand names and give the missions to those who had the said name.

"But-but I-I-I just filed it and-and . . ." He wasn't able to explain because an angry Ranma with the full armoured demon head was facing him.

"INSTEAD OF DOING SOMETHING USEFUL LIKE GIVING IT TO ANOTHER ANBU YOU HAD TO USE THE SHORTEST WAY AND FILED IT FOR ANOTHER SAOTOME IS THAT IT? DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE !" Ranma gathered his ki between his hands as the ninja made a very simple seal which saved his life at the moment, a simple kawarimi no jutsu got him out of harms way, or so he thought.

"Hello, I'm Mrs Saotome." A female voice spoke from behind him. While Ranma was deadly, his wife was vicious when it came to her children. A female scream resounded through the whole administrative complex as Hikari Saotome passed her frustration as violently as she could without killing the man. Good thing she knew Hibiki, she had the habit to exchange techniques with the interrogation specialist.

After the initial scream, Ranma made his way to the Hokage's office.

"I see you got the news Saotome-kun." The old man was quite grave as a second scream resounded.

"Yeah, I know Naruto can deal with it but I'm more afraid of what it could do to his morale." Ranma answered now calmed a bit since justice was being served.

"NOT THERE ! NO AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG!" There was another scream nearer along with a weird sound which both men didn't care to identify. They had a fair idea of the cause anyway. Hikari came in the office leaving the bureaucrat to tend to his wounds.

"Sorry for the noise but he deserved it!" She growled as she fell in line next to her husband. It was obvious what both men thought but didn't say out loud: PMS.

"First of all, I've made the papers to transfer Naruto back to his original clan, he'll be an Uzumaki as soon as he signs the documents. Once it's done all his assets: the mansion, the scrolls of techniques and financial assets will be his legally but under your jurisdiction until he's 18. Is that all you wanted?" The third asked the couple who nodded.

"I wanted to ask for a leave of absence with the whole family Hokage-sama." Ranma said surprising his wife.

"Why is that if I may ask?" The old man said with a raised eyebrow, Ranma was a tireless worker in both the ANBU and as a sensei. He rarely asked to be off the battle roster unless he had near-death injuries and that only happened once a long time ago.

"I'm going to use 'It' and I want Naruto and my family with me." He said, not telling his wife what 'it' was.

"I see. . .very well, you have a month once Naruto gets back." The Hokage conceded.

Ranma bowed and left leading his wife outside and back to their house.

"Alright Ranma, what's the big deal?" she asked sternly.

"Hikari, all those years ago, when we were about to get married, I found a way to my home during one of my missions." He explained, her eyes were wide at the admittance.

"Why?" She asked.

"What? Why I didn't leave Konoha?" He asked back.

"Yes, why didn't you return to your home? To your fiancée? Your family?" She had tears in her eyes.

"You remember what I said when we were married? That I wouldn't leave you for the world ?" He evaded and answered the question all the same. "I Love you, it's simple, and I loved you back then as well. But now, everyone must have moved on and I want you to at least meet my mother. I also want her to meet her grand-children." He now had his wife in his arms and she was kissing him happily, very eagerly even. . .she eventually managed to drag him to their bedroom (and the rest is labelled as NC-17.)

Team 7 made it to Konoha 2 days later. Kakashi and Naruto were required to report for the missions at the administrative building. Sakura didn't even bother to ask Sasuke on a date and the dark Uchiha was frowning. He would never admit to it but being the centre of attention, especially the female kind, was quite addictive. He followed the pink haired kunoichi from the roof tops without her notice. She was being sloppy and he didn't know why. He closed the distance with her until he could hear her mutter to herself. She never saw him nor did she ear the loud shout of her rival who was getting back from a mission of her own.

"SASUKE-KUN!" Ino charged at the Uchiha survivor while Shikamaru scowled and muttered his usual recriminations against the other ninja and women in general.

Another kunoichi was back from her own mission with her team, the timid girl was ecstatic in fact, Naruto was surely around. Without the academy she couldn't see him everyday and that was missing from her daily schedule. She moved toward his home, she knew where he lived since she used to follow him when he trained, and waited for a bit.

As fate would have it, Sakura's parents were on a mission when she got home and there was a letter telling her she could go and stay at the Saotome House until they were back. It was unusual for her parents to get missions but it happened once in a while. She looked at the empty house, sighed and locked the door, maybe a talk with Mrs Saotome could help her clear her mind a bit. She wasn't her mother but that could be to her advantage as well.

She walked slowly toward the Saotome household and saw Hinata leaning against a wall opposite to the estate.

"Hello Hinata-chan!" Sakura said politely. The girl was in a daze somehow and the words seemed to have awakened her.

"Oh, he-he-hello Sakura-san." She answered shyly, she had been in one of her personal fantasies. "Fancy meeting you here." She had regained some of her footing. This wasn't Naruto but Sakura, one of her classmates.

"Yeah, my parents are gone on a mission and they said I could stay with the Saotomes until they came back." She explained. Hinata's eyes widened, Sakura was staying with the Saotomes, in Naruto's home. Life just wasn't fair.

"I-I Have to go, I-I'm supposed to get home soon. Jane, Sakura-san." The Hyuga heir ran as fast as she could to get away from who she now identified as her rival for Naruto.

"I wonder what that was about. She didn't even let me say goodbye." Sakura stood there for a second and finally turned to the Saotome home.

Meanwhile, Naruto was giving his report to the Hokage himself instead of an administrator.

He entered the office and the old man looked at him fondly.

"Naruto. . . I must say I'm sorry, there was an error in the bureaucratic process and you weren't supposed to get this mission." He said with his head downturned.

"No big deal, Oji-san. It would have happened sooner or later anyway." Naruto said. His voice was still cheerful like it always was, but it now held an edge of maturity which wasn't present before.

"Very well, if you insist. Your report then." The Hokage ordered. Naruto recounted the events that led to the assassination. He omitted the part about Sakura being in his mind but that was rather irrelevant.

"You may leave Naruto. Again, I'm sorry to have put you through this, but rest assured that you mother punished the culprit." Once again, the two males shivered but this time visibly and Naruto uttered the letters which could doom any sane man. "PMS?" He asked.

He was quite unlucky since the secretary, a young woman, eared him quite clearly when she opened the door to let the next visitor inside. Both the Hokage and Hyuga Hiashi took a step back when the woman, an armed jounin level ninja who also acted as bodyguard within the tower, attacked the teenage genin with the intent to kill him.

'Maybe he'll learn that the subject of female hormones is hazardous to one's health.' Both the Hokage and Hyuga leader thought as they witnessed the chase around the office and stood out of the way. Naruto had stepped into no-man's land and he had to get out of there by himself.

"Popcorn?" Someone asked from the shadows of a corner. The only evidence of his presence was the bag of popcorn.

"Still watching over him aren't you?" The hokage asked as the three intelligent beings without killing intent in the room observed the situation.

Within the Saotome house, the whole clan, minus Naruto, was preparing for the trip when Sakura came in. She remarked the preparations and immediately asked herself if war had been declared during their mission.

"Sao-Aunty?" She asked Hikari as the woman passed her with a backpack full of different clothes. She was out of her normal wear and in an obvious ANBU armor complete with the mask. Ryoma and Moegi were stacking all sorts of different weapons in their clothes while Ranma seemed to be meditating.

"Hello Sakura-chan, could you get the other bags with the rest. We're going to see Ranma's family." Hikari remarked as she stacked the bags in a specific corner.

"Aunty, I really needed to talk to you." She said. "My parents were sent on a mission and they left a note saying I could stay here while they were away. I really wanted to ask my mother but. . .I guess I just need a woman's advice on the matter." She said. Hikari stopped her moving things and went to Sakura.

"You can tell me everything dear. I didn't think I'd have a girl-talk session until Moegi got about your age but I'll consider this a trial run." She lifted her animalistic mask, a small smile was on her face. She guided Sakura toward the diner table and gave her a cup of tea.

"Alright, I'm not your mother so just tell me what you're willing to tell me. I'll help with what I can." She put her mask on the table, it caught Sakura's attention that there was the distinctive look of a sparrow to the image.

"Well, it's just hard to describe. I've liked Sasuke for so long you see. I was sure, certain, he was the one perfect guy. But now I'm not so sure about that. . ." She trailed off trying to find her words.

"He doesn't seem as interesting as he did before right?" Hikari asked. Sakura only nodded as her answer.

"But. . .at the same time those feelings are dimming, there's something else, for someone else that. . .it's just something else, It's not the same thing as with Sasuke, it's more. . .more. . ." She was interrupted by the smiling Hikari.

"It's just more isn't it? As though it was overloading you with different feelings and making you forget everything around you as it melds into the background and nothing is important anymore." She described with a dreamy look upon her face.

Sakura nodded again after a little thought, it had been exactly that feeling she had when Naruto had kissed her, would it have been the same had it been Sasuke. Had she been asked maybe five minutes earlier she would have said Sasuke would have been better but she wasn't sure anymore, nothing was sure for her at the moment.

"How did you know?" She asked in a small weak voice, as though she was afraid of the answer.

"I feel the exact same way about Ranma even twelve years after we met." She answered simply. "It took me a while to figure it out and maybe a bit more to make him mine but I know I was in love with him at first sight."

Sakura didn't know what to do or say. In her inner self's opinion, Naruto was a rather loud and obnoxious boy with nothing compared to Sasuke but this side of her was weakening, either merging with her actual self or lying dormant in the background remained to be seen but it was lying low for sure. However, there was an air of mystery about him for most of the time she had known him. He had first been her mysterious knight in shining armour when she had still been teased, then came his unnatural strength and skills when he had practised with Ranma and finally she discovered that he was somehow the recipient of the Kyuubi. There was only the transmission of thoughts she hadn't solved but she had written it off as an after effect of the demon for the moment.

Her mind, even if it understood those principles wasn't about to accept the knowledge without an argument.

"How. . .how could I have fallen in love with him?" She whispered with an absent look on her face.

It's at that moment that Naruto came in, he saw the circle of arcane circle of seals his father was meditating in and carefully sidestepped the thing. His father wasn't the most skilled ninja in the written jutsus, even blood scrolls weren't easy for him and all you needed was a bit of your blood for the technique to work. Ranma was another story however. He could duplicate the effects of the techniques on scrolls every once in a while but he couldn't control them in their written form. Naruto simply took his precautions and walked away from the thing and went to the most important part of the house even before the dojo, the kitchen.

When Sakura saw him she was thorn in two by her feelings, even made clear she didn't seem to know how to react to Naruto's presence. A part of her was almost begging for her to run away from him while another part wanted to kiss him senseless. Naruto looked at his mother, then at Sakura and spoke.

"Is this a session of girl talk or can I take a snack?" trust a Saotome to think with his stomach. Hikari shot him a look and he got the hint. Turning away from the war zone he decided to risk the proximity of his meditating father.

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRG!" Sakura let out a growl of frustration.

"Men tend to think through their stomach more then their brains you know." Hikari chuckled. "And that's why we, women, are the real boss in the relations, we hold them by the sentiments." She grinned quite ferociously.

"How did you know?" Sakura asked.

"Mothers intuition, woman's intuition and a kunoichi's sixth sense. I can almost see the future." At the joke, Sakura giggled a bit. "Seriously, unless I was blind I wouldn't have missed the absent look on your face when he came in."

Sakura blushed at the implication that her feelings were on display for everyone to see.

"Are you embarrassed of how you feel?" Hikari asked with a questioning glance.

"You know. . . about Naruto and. . .you know, the seal. . ." Sakura was silenced by a very hard look from the woman.

"I know, every adult knows. What about it Sakura, are you scared of what Naruto carries?" She asked with an edge to her voice. Sakura sinked just a little under the steel the woman seemed to emanate.

"I. . .I can't say I'm not scared of it, of Naruto. . .I'm not scared of Naruto himself. I'm scared shitless of what he could do to me if he decided to attack me. I'd be scared even if he didn't have the. . .well, you get the idea." She answered, Hikari seemed to stop glaring.

"I think I understand, I felt the same way with Ranma at first. He's so much stronger then you and if he ever got the idea that he would take what he wants. . ." She didn't need to finish the sentence as Sakura's eyes widened in fear. She hadn't really thought of it that way but it was true. "I wouldn't worry too much about that, his father and himself are a bit too innocent for their own good sometimes. Naruto is a bit more perverted then his father though." She then told her how Ranma had first found the child Naruto and what he had been doing

"You mean he was going to make guys pay to peep in on women?!? That pervert!" Sakura exclaimed.

"yes well, a four year old kid can't be called responsible for not knowing everything about right and wrong when his tutors weren't exactly the best models of caring at first. He still has that prankster's mind hidden somewhere in his brain." Hikari sighted.

"Anyway, it would seem like you're coming with us to Ranma's home. I'd take all the weapons, equipment and tools you can carry as well as your clothes and all that you already have in your pack. I'll just make a quick laundry so you have clean clothes." She said with a wink.

"I wouldn't want to impose and. . ." Sakura said but she trailed off when Hikari grabbed the pack and went to her washing room.

Meanwhile, Naruto had gotten the story from his siblings and was preparing some more equipment for himself. More scrolls, more clothes, more hidden ramen, more weapons, did I mention the hidden ramen ? He was about to close his pack when he decided to put three other cups of instant ramen.

His father made three seals and shouted the names right as he closed his pack.

"Tora ! Inu ! Neko !" Ranma screamed and the glow of chakra went to the written seals on the floor and was sucked into a scroll which now contained the technique.

"That should do it." Ranma said as he pocketed the scroll. He then saw Naruto standing there. "Welcome back son ! I think we need to talk. Let's go to the kitchen." Ranma said.

"Can't do that, mom and Sakura are having a bit of girl talk." Naruto warned his father who turned around and went toward the door.

"As I said, to the dojo so we're not. . . erm. . .distracted by other matters." Naruto smiled a bit and followed.

"I heard about your mission." Ranma said immediately. "I want to know how you're dealing with it all." He almost ordered.

"I'd lie if I said I was fine with it. For a second back there I almost enjoyed what I was doing. It was so easy and it felt. . .I felt Kyuubi settling. The damn fox was always agitated before but when I killed that man it became. . .I dunno. . .tame." Naruto stopped for a second and put his head between his hands. "I disgust myself ! Enjoying to kill, I almost became that demon everyone thinks I am for real ! I don't deserve to be your son or even your student." Naruto exclaimed hotly.

"Naruto. . .son, what happened was normal, we are shinobis, ninjas are tools for people to use, deadly tools. You're still at the level where missions are about finding stray cats or helping at the harvest, once you progress you become a soldier, a bodyguard or even an assassin. You fight in a war for a lord for about a week, after that week is done you could be ordered to fight for the other lord or to assassinate him. No Naruto, your reaction isn't a failure, you felt what any and all shinobis face at least once in their life, the fear that you could like to kill. You're a special case with the demon sealed inside you stirring feelings we wouldn't know about but don't ever give in to the urge to kill for fun. That's all I ask of you to be proud." Ranma said a bit too sagely for him. Naruto looked at his hands and then to Ranma's poker face which, by the way, doesn't exist.

"Mom wrote that right?" Naruto deadpanned as Ranma hid his ink stained hand behind his back.

"No, it came from my mind, not hers !" Ranma said trying to act honest, it worked as much as Happosai's flying cute monkey disguise.

"At least you practised enough to say it as though you were the author." Naruto rolled his eyes. "So, when are we leaving ?" He asked hopeful to sidestep anymore conversation.

"Once I'm finished with you son. You see, you're almost 17 years old now, we took you in ten years ago. Now I want you to become your own person." Ranma said.

"You're kicking me out ?" Naruto said wide eyed.

"No, just putting you back into your original family register. You're the only member and you have a place in the village clan council. I'll always consider you my son but when we adopted you me and Hikari knew you'd be our son only temporarily." Ranma said. "You're an Uzimaki by name but I'm still considering you my son in my heart, that's where it really counts." Ranma stated with a grin which Naruto mirrored.

"Well, I guess I'll stick around the place for a while then." He answered with a large grin.

"Not that much, we're leaving for a month's time of vacation." Ranma said as he got up.

"Vacation ? Moegi and Ryoma told me it was a training trip !?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"It is, you'll meet weird people and strong fighters from my youth." Ranma announced with a smirk.

Both practitioners of martial arts went back to the house to find the whole family assembled with Sakura and their things.

"We're all ready dear." Hikari said. Ranma nodded and made a long series of seals before he called his technique.

"Hijutsu : Dimension's door!" He called as he poured chakra into his hand. A gust of wind picked up and the assembled people were pulled through a portal.

Naruto was falling through the void with his eyes closed. He was holding instinctively onto Sakura who had been the last person in his field of vision. They fell until they broke the waters of some small pound or spring. Naruto felt something shift inside of him, as though something was amiss. His senses seemed sharper then ever. He came back to his senses quickly as he tried to break to the surface with his passenger.

They breathed deeply as they surfaced and quickly reached the border of the pool.

"Na-Naruto. . .what happened ?" Sakura asked as she looked around. To find herself in a mountain range with pools of water. They both got up and put their back to the other. They looked for Ranma or Hikari but couldn't see either of them in their immediate vicinity. They did see a man and a young girl a bit older then them run toward their position.

"I is so sorry young costumers! I not see you come to Jusenkyo ! I see you fall in Kitsuneniichuan, it tragic story of demon fox who drown here 2356 year ago, very tragic story." The guide announced.

"Demon fox !" Naruto exclaimed as he ripped his shirt open. He found his stomach marked with the seal of Kyuubi which started glowing before it spread a bit over his body. He had to close his eyes when he felt the demon stir. The seal spread some more until almost his whole body was covered in markings.

"Naruto ! Try to control yourself ! Please !" Sakura was panicking, she didn't want Kyuubi to take over.

The demon, opposite to Sakura's thought, wasn't taking over at the moment, it seemed to be quite the opposite.

"What have you done boy?" The booming voice resounded in his mind.

"How should I know what's happening ? All I know is that I'm seeing your stupid memories!" He answered hotly as another wave of memories hit him, war, death, pillage and massacres were the least of the things he saw. Naruto was panting on the ground as he looked at the gates of the seal. The demon was gone, or rather, he wasn't the container of the demon fox anymore.

"That's right boy! You're the demon fox now ! How about a fitting end for the great Kyuubi! Dead and still alive at the same time. I'm free of the seal and yet I'm even more of a prisoner now!" The fox chuckled. Naruto came back to the real world only to see the seal on his belly had spread to his higher collar.

"Naruto ! You're awake!" Sakura launched herself at his neck without even taking notice of what he was wearing. Naruto saw Sakura's now flaming red hair, she let him go and he saw her slitted yellow eyes and her ears which were pointed.

"Sakura, what happened to you?" He asked as he took in her smell and he felt dizzy all of a sudden. This had never happened before, sure, he could smell better then most people for some reason but why did it hit him that hard all of a sudden. Naruto felt the hot water hit the both of them as the guide explained the curse of Jusenkyo.

"Jusenkyo are springs of sorrow, hold many secrets young costumers. Curse give you form of demon fox when you hit with cold water. . .why you no change?" The guide looked at Naruto who still had the same red slitted eyes along with red streaks in his hair and the pointed ears.

"Long story, I don't want to really talk about it." Naruto muttered.

Just as the guide was about to explain the aqua-transformation, someone knocked on the door. A procession of people came in with Hikari and a red haired woman in front with Moegi and Ryoma in their arms.

"Hello, I guess you found our two missing. . .oh god, don't tell me! Kyuubynichuan right?" The red head asked.

"Ah, welcome honoured costumer! It has been a long time." The guide exclaimed as he took out a kettle which he kept permanently warm. Naruto watched in awe as this woman became his father.

"NANI!!!?????" Naruto screamed while pointing.

"Long story, Nyannichuan, spring of drowned girl, yare yare yare." Ranma answered.

"It was a shock for me too dear, let the poor boy adjust." Hikari said from besides him.

"Yeah, I know. Did Sakura fall into a spring?" He asked suddenly.

"Same one as mine." Ranma's eyes widened, there were two kitsunes? The Hokage and her parents would want his head!

Ranma started sulking while some other people came in.

"Honored elder of Joketsuzoku! What bring you here?" The guide asked as an old wrinkled woman stepped in.

"I felt the ki of my moku-dono and came rushing to find he had a whole family!" Ranma turned to face Khu-lon and the amazon smiled.

"Hey there old troll! Gave up on Nerima?" He asked as the woman shook her head.

"Not really, I just came here for my vacations along with Xian Pu and Mu Tsu." She answered. "Nerima is far too entertaining to leave, even with you away." She grinned and it made Naruto shudder.

"Oi! Tou-san, who's the old troll?" Naruto asked. The woman hit him on the head with her stick.

"Respect your elders!" She admonished, but before that Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke leaving a log in his place and a message which read. 'A slow old troll to boot!' Sakura chuckled a little at Naruto's joke and watched the face of the old woman fall.

"He's been trained by me all his life and right now he's under the effects of the Kitsuneniichuan so let's just say he could be a bit . . . feral at times." Ranma explained as Naruto reappeared behind the woman with a water balloon. The result was a drenched Khu Lon and a beaten up Naruto as she caught him from his inscessant laughing.

"Quite a son you have. How about we go talk to the village?" She narrowed her eyes as she said that, maybe getting Naruto to join the tribe would be possible.

"No challenges for Naruto or you can be sure your warrior will die." Ranma said. Khu Lon looked at him and nodded gravely, it was too risky to lose a prime catch like this boy who could sneak up behind her so easily. He seemed a better catch then even Ranma had been. The trek to the village was short since everyone was already quite up to speeds. Sakura seemed to lag behind but Khu Lon had her doubts that the girl was holding back something.

Sakura for her part was cursing the weights her training demanded. That is until she was hit by a bit of cold water, now Ranma was cursing (quite loudly I might add) his curse while Sakura was catching up with a burst of chakra. Naruto's senses picked up on Sakura immediately and he almost had to stop himself from jumping on her. Fifteen minutes later, the group was in front of the village of the amazons and many young maiden warriors were eyeing Naruto in an interested manner.

'If any of them even thinks about Naruto I'll rip off their throat' She growled in her mind. Naruto heard it and growled himself.

'They have weapons, if even one of them hurts you. . .' He didn't finish as he let leak a bit of the Kyuubi's chakra. Every warrior drew their sword or weapon a bit closer as they felt the murderous intent of the ninja.

"Children! Lower your weapons or do you want to provoke this boy into killing you all?" The matriarch asked in a booming voice. All the weapons were immediately hidden and the villagers dispersed. All except one girl with lavender hair.

"Great great great grand-mother, did you bring these guests to spend the night?" The girl asked.

"Fe Briz, I'm on the other side. I told you to wear your glasses." Khu Lon said exasperated.

"Mu Tsu and Xian Pu's kid?" Ranma asked only for the matriarch to sigh in defeat.

"She's a truly formidable fighter but she needs surgery once she's grown." Khu Lon talked quickly with the girl in Cantonese and they then went to her house.

"Make yourselves at home. Xian Pu and Mu Tsu are back in Nerima so you won't have much problems as long as you're with me." She stated. Ranma nodded and he started to talk with the old woman about all that had changed.

"Well, we're leaving for Nerima tomorrow. It shouldn't be a long trip for a family of well trained shinobis." Ranma remarked. Khu Lon nodded and they turned to the room to see the children gone.

"I hope they don't have your luck with the ladies Ranma or you'll have another amazon after your party." She said. Ranma opted for slamming his head on the table just to change the pain.

Moegi and Ryoma, quite young children, were lucky enough that the marriage rule was not in effect at their age. Naruto and Sakura however were getting quite a lot of attention as they were sparring with one another. They were well trained, maybe a little too well trained, especially the girl but the male was a superb specimen of manhood. Girls sighed as he let go of the weighed vest. The boys of the village were given quite a show when Sakura did the same but they weren't stupid enough to stay after Naruto looked at them with his vertical pupil. The girl, it seemed, was claimed and Naruto oozed killing intent compared to even some of the most hardened warriors of the village. Naruto pinned Sakura to the ground after a full hour of full out sparring. Both of them had held back, Naruto more then Sakura, but the session was supposed to improve her endurance and technique for long drawn out battles, something many shinobis loathed to engage into.

It was strange how Sakura found Naruto's protective burst to be, quite honestly, cute. Many would have said he was too possessive but she knew otherwise. Naruto held her dear and outside his family she was one of the only people to ever show she cared. There was also the knight in shining armor thing, for a shinobi who grew up in a violent environment where death was an everyday matter it resumed in the guy making the other guy eat his own guts as he was dying from blood loss for the simple reason he had looked at her wrong. There weren't many instances of that happening if the guy was a shinobi but every once in a while you could find a rapist with his guts in his mouth and it was generally because he had picked on the wrong kind of victim.

Both of them picked up their vests and put the on, much to the audience's chagrin, before they started another set of exercises to concentrate their chakra. They sat and meditated.

"Have you seen how gorgeous the stranger is?" one girl asked.

"Yeah, those muscles, and those red streaked hair, he looks so cool!" another exclaimed. Sakura and Naruto didn't understand a word of this though since Chinese wasn't their forte. The strength of the village was their abilities as fighters so when they felt the enormous chi both strangers were emitting they backed up and took positions better fit for defence or, if the need should arise, to flee from a certain death.

The fact that neither were moving quickly bored the often overactive amazons who went back to their own training, it did catch the attention of several old women though who watched these two children meditate as though they were in their own backyard and everyone of them was hatching plans for their heiress to challenge the boy to battle and get this fine. . .catch shall we say.

"What weak outsider girl want in amazon village?" a guard asked nearby. Naruto opened his eyes for a second and saw something he never thought he would get to see in his lifetime. A girl with an exact replica of Sasuke's clothes which were quite wet and, just to add to the oddity, the girl was actually looking at the guard with the sharingan.

"Sasuke?!?!" Naruto exclaimed jolting Sakura out of her own meditation.

"Sasuke. . .chan?!?!?" was her immediate reaction at the very wet and female ninja.

End of the chapter

It's official, I am EVIL! Sasuke dunked in the Nyannichuan! Oh the horror! Oh the drama! Oh the possibilities!

After a long summer of unproductive work I finally have a chapter written but now IO have the whole chuunin exams planed and the next chapter in the works right now along with a new story in French for the Naruto section so I didn't go on a perpetual break, just a summer break.


	8. chapter 8

Chapter 8

Disclaimer : Naruto and Ranma aren't mine.

Note: Many people on 's Naruto section have read Yuremi-chan's awesome fanfic "irreplaceable" and we all know what sad hand fate has dealt to this author so I would like to dedicate this chapter to this great author who should definitely receive a miracle. If not then we can only hope for the best in the afterlife.

Trip to Nerima

Sasuke glared openly at the blond and had the urge to slap the boy for looking at his body like he was doing. The fact that the cursed spring seemed to have been imbued with a very 'healthy' girl didn't help matters in any way.

"Outsider leave or have to fight!" The guard stated as she produced a spear from somewhere. Naruto walked over and gave Sasuke a thermos which was filled with hot water.

"Well, if you want to fight you might as well do it as a guy!" Naruto said cheerfully as Sasuke growled at Naruto at the evident mocking in his view but the blond threw the hot liquid at the cursed shinobi who turned back into his rightful appearance.

Now amazons are not lesbians in general, they can all appreciate a fine specimen of the male species even if they do belittle said half of humanity but a man cursed to become a female was, for some of them anyway, a catch even finer then a normal male. They had something of a unique vantage point of the female body. The boy seemed strong and the girl who was guarding the gates was only fifteen years old. With a battle cry she charged the male to Sakura and Naruto's surprise. A circle formed and some of the other amazons swore from the tone in their voices. They hadn't been fast enough and now the battle was already on.

The spear was the first thing that flew through the air as Sasuke ducked under the thrust and quickly kicked up. The girl quickly recovered and tried to do a sweep kick aimed to Sasuke's head but the sharingan user saw it coming from a mile away. The girl missed just barely as Sasuke didn't waist the movement to over dodge the move. She then jumped trying to use an axe kick but once again Sasuke countered as fast as possible.

"Oi! Sasuke! Stop dragging the fight!" Naruto called to him, the amazons who knew Japanese immediately went abuzz with gossip. The boy was holding back!

"Urusai dobe!" the Uchiha called to him. He did concentrate his chakra to unleash his full strength. The girl immediately went to a defencive stance but Sasuke already had two kunai out of his pouches. He quickly threw them and the girl swiftly dodged as nimbly as any amazons but the boy had tied them with strings. The girl had no way to predict the strength of the sharingan. Sasuke controlled the blades to perfection and they tied the girl like a sausage in a painful way. The strings cut through her skin and Sasuke drew in a deep breath as he made hand seals.

"KATON! RYUUKA NO JUTSU!" The fire attack followed the strings and were going to incinerate the girl alive. She closed her eyes and prepared to face death as an amazon. The fire was about to reach her. The sudden heat was affecting her enough that she fainted just as a kunai severed the string and made the fire vanish because it's stream of chakra was cut. Sasuke turned to Naruto and glared at the blond. Sakura ran to the fallen warrior as the amazons were talking even more amongst themselves. They had a marriage in their sight and as long as the guard hadn't made her claim. . .

The girl quickly woke up and the pain hit her as she realized she was alive.

"Take it easy . . .Hey!" Sakura was roughly pushed to the side as the girl latched herself on the still glaring Sasuke. He turned his face toward her and was surprised by a kiss.

"Wo ai ni da airan!" The girl said softly in front of the assembly.

"Oh shit." Ranma deadpanned as he and Khu Lon arrived.

"I seem to have gained a new son in law." The old woman said before a cackle of laughter.

"What does she mean Ranma?" Hikari asked her husband.

"Amazon law states that whoever beats an amazon while he or she is an outsider must face the consequences." Ranma said.

"And what might those be?" Hikari asked ticked off a bit.

"A man is to be married to the defeated maiden and a woman must be. . .disposed of. . ." Khu lon said as she approached the boy who was struggling to get out of the hold.

Khu Lon guided everyone to her house, aware that her challengers on the village council would want to stake their own claim.

"All right Khu Lon, you explain everything to Sasuke while I prepare to take off for Nerima. I believe our presence is rather unwelcome." Ranma stated as he started gathering their luggage.

"Very well Ranma. I suppose I'll come with you for a crazy adventure off in japan again." She stated with a large smirk. Ranma nodded and rejoined his family who were already on their guard. Moegi and Ryoma were the only ones having fun. Naruto, when the rules of the kiss of death and the kiss of marriage were explained, had almost turned into a feral creature protecting it's territory. No warrior was crazy enough to come near him at the moment even if being defeated by him would have been good, death never was an option.

Both Sakura and Naruto were alone in a corner at that moment.

'Naruto, calm down!' She almost shouted within his mind. She was almost assaulted with images of the absorption of Kyuubi and she looked at him with respect.

"Is it the instincts overwhelming you?" She asked out loud. Naruto nodded at her and struggled to control himself.

"It's worst when you turn into a kitsune, I get assaulted with all those sensations and smells." He stated as he calmed his instincts gradually. "I'm dangerous right now Sakura, I could go berserk at the first sign of an attack."

Ranma approached them and sat at a respectful distance.

"I understand you son." Ranma said as the boy looked at him with a gleam of protectiveness in his eyes.

"Even you seem to threaten me dad. I feel as though you want to steal Sakura." Naruto was struggling with himself.

"I know how it feels son, just concentrate on my voice alright." Ranma instructed. Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated on the sounds. "Alright, now listen closely. You're struggling because you have a connection closer to the kitsune then Sakura does, you shouldn't shut this out but try to harness them."

Naruto struggled to say something but Ranma was already talking again.

"If you shut them out you'll never be able to truly control yourself son!" Ranma exclaimed as Naruto settled down. Sakura had been silently observing Naruto struggle. She could feel his more human side slowly relenting it's basic instinct to resist and repress the urges of his animal side and to slowly calm himself.

'I was scared for a second.' She thought and Naruto grinned at her.

"Alright! I'm back in full control!" Naruto said but when he heard a peculiar sound he immediately went back to his previous turmoil.

"Don't be too hasty with saying that. It'll take you a bit of time to totally control your instincts to lash out." Ranma said as he moved away.

"You should get some sleep though, we're moving out early tomorrow." Ranma said as he walked away to rejoin Hikari. Sakura told him goodnight and went with Moegi as Naruto was given a room alone. Sasuke simply slept on the couch as Ryoma took a futon in his parents room.

Well, Sasuke tried to sleep but he screamed in the middle of the night as Fey Briz, the girl who was the lucky spouse of the Uchiha tried to consummate their union. Sasuke was out of his bed and holding his kunai in a defencive manner.

"Keep it down you two!" Khu Lon ordered. "Newlyweds! How. . .energetic they are!" she was grinning at the prospect of great great great great grand children. Naruto however was laughing his head off at the expense of the black haired ninja. He went back to his room leaving the other guy to his own struggle. Naruto went to sleep and his dreams turned to the first person.

Naruto's POV

I was a small thing, weak and frail as I looked up. My parents were over me, looking down at me and my siblings as we dragged our bodies to drink our mother's milk. I was a small cute and furry creature, I was a fox.

It didn't take me long to understand the truth of the world as two of my siblings died during the four next weeks but it was life, those who were stronger survived but the others died. I then learned to hunt, slowly and step by step as the litter grew just as I did. First through games and then through real kills.

We grew and finally outgrew our childhood. I was an adult fox and it was my goal to find a territory of my own so I moved out of the parental lair at the same time my siblings did.

I encountered man for the first time in these travels, hunters who made my skin crawl as they wore their fox pelts. It scared me that these creatures were stronger then us foxes and it infuriated me. It wasn't just any pelt they had on but those of my brothers and sisters. I bid my time and, when they slept soundly, I killed them during their sleep. It was merely a couple but I killed them nonetheless.

I lived afterwards trying to find a safe heaven to raise my own children once I had a mate.

I found both in the deep forest unexplored by mankind but this female was out of my reach. She was a kitsune, a spirit of the very embodiment of foxes. I came close to her and found her wounded. It was a snake bite which was making her suffer. I took my courage and licked her wound. I tried my hardest to draw out the blood that was infected. When she opened her eyes I withdrew a bit only to see her smile at me. I was ecstatic! I walked back toward her and somehow transformed into a humanoid form. I looked a bit like a man but I wasn't a man.

"I wish to thank you for saving me kind one." She said with a large smile.

"Then please become my mate!" I burst out and she smiled wider at my audacity. She turned into a fox and I did the same. I had become a kitsune myself! A spirit of the foxes, a legend to my race and almost a god to them and I had gotten a goddess as mate.

We lived for hundreds of years together, founding a large family of many litters. Every one hundred year, I gained a tail to my back as my mate remained the same. We were larger then any foxes would have been, we had at least the size of a dire wolf or a small bear. We were happy until man came. At first it was a small settlement which was in a conflict with other humans. It bothered us, how stupid was this race anyway? To kill your own instead of hunting as was the rule of nature?

We were on the verge of moving to a new area when we were spotted, it was stupid of us really but the man attacked us in hope of getting our pelts. He killed my mate in front of my very eyes and almost got to me. I killed a man again and ate his heart to learn all he knew. I was a spirit no more, I was now a demon. The thing I saw on him told me who he was and where he came from. The image of the metal plaque he wore was burned within my mind.

I trained myself for a decade, I had taken a human form and I killed every man who wore the same insignia, eating their hearts to gain more power to enact my revenge.

I was ready, I was strong, stronger then ever and I attacked! Claws and fangs ready to obliterate every living thing in this god forsaken village. All of this for my revenge! All of this slaughter for what? Getting trapped within a child. . .

End of Naruto's POV

Naruto woke up with a start, he looked at his hands which now had claws. He had learned all of Kyuubi's misfortune in his sleep. He almost felt sorry for the fox but he remembered something else from the dream that the fox had never seen.

"The leaf was barred." He muttered. It was a lot to take in, he had been the Kyuubi, he now knew his instincts as well as he knew himself. This was why he had been restless the previous night, the memories were trying to surface and were throwing him off. At least as far as he could tell. He walked to the living room after packing his stuff and found Sasuke actually asleep with the girl on his arm.

"Oi, Sasuke!" He said. The noise was enough to wake the other shinobi while it only made the girl squeeze a little harder.

"What do you want?" He asked in a harsh whisper.

"How did you wind up here? You should be back in Konoha!" Naruto almost growled his answer.

"Alright, I'll tell you. I was on my way to training with your father when I was pulled inside a weird jutsu and I ended up landing in some pool of water. There, you happy now?" He asked in his usual rude manner. Naruto only nodded as he got up to the kitchen to find some ramen. What he saw almost made him jealous of Sasuke. There was a kitchen full of supplies just to make the stuff. Sasuke was one lucky bastard to have a family of in laws who actually owned a CHAIN of ramen stands. Small but still a chain!

"Ramen. . ." he said dreamily as something else took his attention. His senses were still over developed and his earing and smell were quite sharp. Sakura had let out a soft curse as she had entered the waters of her shower which must have been too cold since he was already starting to catch her intoxicating smell. He tried to distract himself with the idea of the ramen that was in front of him but it was no use. His mind was going full gear thinking about Sakura in the shower.

"Hey son, how's it going?" Ranma asked as he joined his son in front of the ramen. Naruto was looking out in space for some reason with drool leaking from his lower jaw. Ranma tried to snap him out of his trance but for some reason it just didn't work. Ranma shrugged and went to make his own breakfast and some for his son.

Naruto did snap out of it just as Sasuke's scream of outrage woke at least half the villagers. Fey Briz glomped onto his arm. Thank god for contact lenses!

Naruto went back to laughing at his colleague's misfortune and finally sat down for breakfast. He ate until Sakura came in the room, her still wet hair and the fragrance of her shampoo hit him like a ton of bricks. Worst was the fact that the hot water was broken and that she was a kitsune at that moment. Naruto took hold of the table and his knuckles turned white as he controlled himself from dragging her somewhere for reasons evident for anyone.

Ranma was hit with cold water as well when Sakura spilled her glass on him. A very wet Ranma-chan sighed as she put a kettle on the stove.

Sakura was also receiving an overload of information, just like Naruto, but she didn't have the added problem of a demon merging with her. What was the worst were the urges she had to jump on him and be extremely naughty. She didn't feel them outside her cursed form and it was disturbing. Her senses were too developed she guessed. Naruto was, for lack of a better expression, her mate. It was as simple as that when she was a kitsune but she was also a human and there came the problem. Her inner self was more or less acting like the the demon fox had for Naruto from what she could guess and was messing with her already messed up feelings. It didn't even react to that girl Fey Briz staking a claim on Sasuke, she had only cared about Naruto and staking her own claim of ownership, or rather of being owned by him.

Ranma poured hot water upon her and Naruto seemed to relax a bit. His knuckles did remain white though.

Naruto was, in fact, having conflicting images going through his mind. Sakura's smell had lessened but her shampoo still had the same fragrance of cherry and it still drove him mad.

The next hour the boy didn't speak a word as his family and Khu Lon's came in to eat. He seemed to dodge Sakura who found it rather pleasing that she was causing this.

After their meal the Saotomes, team 7 and the two Chinese amazons were on the road for Japan.

The journey went on for three days. Khu Lon rode on the pack of her son in law who, for some cosmic reason, tolerated the old woman at that moment. In fact they had a sort of truce. He would carry her and her things while she kept the annoyance of a descendant away from his tent.

Said annoyance was stuck to his arm like glue while almost glaring at any female who came close to him.

Sakura had taken to teaching the girl proper Japanese and they chatted merrily on their way when they weren't running.

Ranma was carrying Moegi when she was tired while Hikari did the same with Ryoma.

Naruto was meanwhile trying to ignore the very foxy Sakura. travelling had one very annoying problem: hot water was a scarce resource and it seemed the female was actually enjoying causing him discomfort. Fey Briz's 'tips' didn't help either. On the second day, Naruto's control broke during their nightly halt.

Sakura had actually kissed his cheek as she wished him goodnight. Naruto took a whiff of her smell and he almost lost it. He seized her shoulders and tackled her to the ground. Sakura's eyes widened as he kissed her almost savagely. Her body reacted normally and she simply kissed back.

Naruto regained control of himself and looked at the teen he had under him. A part of him was rather enjoying his position of power but another was appalled at what he had just done.

"Sa-Sakura! I'm-I'm so. . ." He was interrupted as she seized his collar.

"Naruto, shut up and kiss me!" She pulled him back for a second kiss which Naruto was all too cooperative to act upon. The next morning he woke up to the pleasant sight of Sakura in his arms. He almost panicked until he finally felt the reassuring separation of clothes. Naruto sighed in what was both relief and disappointment. He was holding her against him and all the influence about her scent in the air had now vanished even as the smell lingered.

The boy looked at her, smelled her with a raised eyebrow and noticed a subtle change in the fragrance.

Sakura opened her eyes to see Naruto right in front of her. She immediately checked for clothes and sighed in relief as she was wearing some. Naruto kissed her briefly before they parted almost brusquely.

'Morning breath' They both sent to the other as their stronger senses felt repulsed by their odour. For some reason the connection was stronger then it had been before and it felt like Naruto was back in complete control of his urges. The travellers purchased a boat to cross the sea, it was in fact a row boat which Naruto and Sasuke were in charge of making it move. Their competitive spirit and their rivalry made the trip extremely short but it was two very tired shinobis who were almost dragged to the Tendo dojo that day.

"Challengers use the bell" Sakura read the sign hanging near the door. Ranma knocked on the door and waited.

"Yes, what. . ." Ranma came face to face with himself, his 16 year old self to be precise.

"Moooom!" The copy, as far as Ranma was concerned, called just as his wife was withdrawing her still sheathed sword.

A woman dressed in a black gi came to the door. Ranma knew immediately who this was and bowed his head in shame.

"Akane?" He asked tentatively.

"Is that you Ranma?" She asked back with a touch of concern in her voice.

"Yeah." He answered.

Only to receive mallet-sama under his chin sending him flying in the general direction of the Ucchan.

"I guess you would be Akane, I'm Hikari Saotome, Ranma's wife." She said with a smile.

Akane immediately changed from berserk fury to nice and shiny. Naruto braced for his life as Sasuke just cringed for his sensei.

"I'm sorry, I am Akane Saotome, I was adopted by Ranma's parents after the twins were born. I'm sorry about the outburst but. . ." she trailed off as Hikari bowed in reply.

"That's alright, I would have reacted the same way." Hikari answered the woman. Two teenagers were observing them quietly from the door. One of them had red hair while the other was brown haired.

The whole group that had come from Konoha followed Akane who sat them at the dinner table to talk.

"So, while I know your jerk of a husband I don't know any of you." Akane said as she sat down with Hikari. Naruto looked around the facility which was quite similar to his own place.

"Like I said I'm Hikari, these are my children, Moegi and Ryoma while the others are Ranma's student. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke. Do you have any hot water by the way?" She asked as Akane rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess, Jusenkyo?" she asked only for Hikari to nod.

Someone hadn't heard any of the things about Jusenkyo, the brown haired boy just had to know who that cute girl with the black hair and scowl was.

"Hey there, I'm Tori, what's your name?" He asked trying to sound cool.

Sasuke was annoyed, very annoyed. It was one thing when girls fell all over him but when it was a guy. Let's just say his reaction was far from positive.

"Get out of my sight loser." He said with barely restrained rage. Naruto raised an eyebrow at that just before something brushed against him. The red haired girl actually took hold of his hand to Sakura's great annoyance.

"I'm Ranko, how would you like to practise in our dojo? Anything goes is the greatest form of martial arts there is and with me as teacher you're in very good hands!" The girl said.

Sakura immediately growled loudly and her eyes seemed to glow. Naruto quickly moved away from the incoming cat fight. He could feel the chakra hanging in the air just from her reaction. Ranko turned to the girl and instinctively took a step back.

"What kind of sparing did you have in mind? I'm a student of anything goes myself and I'd really like to compare techniques." Sakura said with an edge to her voice.

"Sakura!" Hikari called to the girl who stood down immediately. "I'd advise the both of you not bother those three. And please don't look at Sasuke like that. It's disturbing." Tori didn't get out of his staring act until his mother actually dropped the hot water upon the girl. To say he backed away was an understatement.

"Well now these two are my children, Ranko and Tori. How about they show the children around the dojo and house while we chat?" Akane asked. Her children motioned for the others to follow her and they disappeared to the dojo.

"They're Ranma's kids aren't they?" Hikari asked bluntly.

"Yes, they were conceived two days before he disappeared through the mirror." Akane answered.

"You do know he still loves you right?" Hikari stated with a far away look in her face. "He told me all about his life here and he always talked about you. I can't help but feel a little jealous of you."

"Why would you be jealous? He's married to you, not me." Akane sighed in a bit of regret. "And why is that? Because we were young and foolish." Akane fought against the sobs that raked her body. "And what do I do when I see the jerk again? I actually hit him! The worst part of all this is that I still love him goddamn it!" she almost screeched.

Hikari and Akane then talked for a couple of hours undisturbed as Ranma was otherwise occupied.

In fact, let's go back to his forced flight. Quite a nice view it gave him of his old school, the Kuno mansion, those crazy aliens over in Tomobiki, the giant monster fighting against another giant monster while kids watched, Nuku Nuku running after the milkman and, as always, the nearest spot of water where he would most likely land.

Prophetically (or maybe because I'm god when I write a story. . .okay! I'm really the demon lord ruler of HFIL also known as the home for infinite losers!) he started his descent and landed face first into a puddle of water at the back of the Ucchan. Ranma picked himself from the ground as the owner of the restaurant came to look at what had caused this much noise in her backyard.

"Ranchan?" Ukyo asked at seeing the pigtailed man. Ranma turned around and gave her a sloppy smile.

"Oi! Ucchan, long time no see!" He said as he waved. The girl had her head hanging low so Ranma couldn't see her features. When she lifted it he would have really loved to be somewhere else. The head lifted at the same time the spatula did and Ranma was hit over the head and knocked out by the battle cry of an angry Okonomiyaki chef.

"JACKASS!" The shout resounded through all of Nerima letting people who should not have been aware of his return know he was there.

"Saotome. . ." the voice growled, or rather it would have had it not come from a small black piglet who was running from his life to escape the dogs who wanted some bacon. Instead it sounded more like a weak "Bweee!"

It didn't take long for Ranma to find himself seated at the counter with Ukyo at the grill.

"So I guess this is my life. A home, a job as a professional ninja, two kids and three students and that's without counting Akane's kids whom I didn't know about." Ranma summarized.

"Yeah well sugar you missed quite a lot. Akane got adopted by your parents so the schools could be joined. Since the kids had to be yours they paid me back for the yatai by giving me enough money for a long time and Shampoo got together with mousse." She explained.

"I was surprised by that. I thought the village would forbid it or something." Countered Ranma.

"Forbid it? They were revolted that their strongest warrior would go for such a low life according to their status but eye surgery exists for that you know, even if their daughter still needs to wait till she's 21 to have it." Ukyo rolled her eyes at the stupidity of the amazons.

"I guess I should go back to my family and ask Akane about where my parents live now. I wasn't even sure the dojo was still standing." Ranma said as he devoured his okonomiyaki.

"Well, for info you should go to Nabiki normally but she's married to some rich guy and lives in Juuban right now and Kasumi is now a doctor and working somewhere in Africa so Akane would be the one to know who wouldn't charge you for the tip." Ukyo told him as she counted on the cash register. "It's 150 yen please." She told him as he took some money he had changed and gave it to her with a very generous tip.

"Keep the change." He said with a large smile "I ate enough on the house in the past so keep it and don't say a word." He retreated toward the door and waved at the chef. "It was nice seeing you again. I'll come back to present you the rest of the family." He announced as he got out.

Ukyo looked at his retreating back and sighed as she put the money in the register. Ranma was still and would always be an inconsiderate jerk who was blinder then Mousse when it came to emotions.

'Can't he see I still love him and that it will only hurt me to see his family?' She thought as she went to her usual stress relief: making the ultimate okonomiyaki recipe.

Ranma walked along the streets of Nerima. It was good to be back even if he missed his new home. Nerima had been the first stable home he had ever had even if calling Nerima 'stable' was a stretch. He made it to the school looking so much like it did before he left. There even was someone screaming at him.

"Saotome you cur! You dare show your face here after you defiled Akane Tendo with your evil spawn and ran off with the pigtailed girl?" A voice, none other then Kuno's, reached him. The crazy kendoist was wearing a hakama just as the teachers who Ranma recognized as Hiroshi and Daisuke. Faithful to his old habits, Ranma sent Kuno up into LEO and went to chat with his old friends.

The tour of the Tendo house was quite a tense situation. Tori seemed to have now taken an interest to Sakura while Ranko was yanking on Naruto and Sasuke trying to decide which one she would get. Naruto was growling menacingly while Sakura openly glared daggers at the girl. Ryoma and Moegi were oblivious to all of this as they gleefully asked questions about each and every part of the house, it's use and what the appliances were. Sasuke was decidedly not amused when Fe Briz made an entrance so she could take him to meet her mother and father.

'I've had enough.' Naruto sent to Sakura as he flared his chakra.

"That's it! I've had enough!" He exclaimed. He seized Sakura's waist and drew her to him for a long deep kiss which left the twins shocked. "Now that it's established that Sakura and I are together could we please stop all this meaningless bickering and get to visit this place?" Naruto asked as the dazed Sakura regained her composure.

"I guess we could." Tori said slowly as he tried to get the image out of his system. Ranko simply nodded and let both Sasuke and Naruto alone from this point on. Being on the path of an amazon was never a good idea even when they were your friends.

The tour thus became much more civilized even if Sasuke still had an extra weigh on his left arm. It finished with the dojo. Ranko and Tori decided to spar and bowed to one another while the others took their places around the tatami.

It was obvious they were used to fighting one another. Their styles were different since Tori used his superior reach to keep his opponent at bay while Ranko used speed and feints to get to her brother. Naruto estimated they knew one another too well from the moves they made but he recognized their potential.

"How about I step in and spar with Tori for a while?" He asked eager to practise.

"You sure about that?" Tori asked. "I wouldn't want to hurt you." He confessed as Naruto grinned.

"I don't think you could touch me if I wanted to." Naruto said confidently. He replaced Ranko and took a loose stance his opponent knew to be serious. A strength of their style was the non commitment stances which gave the user an edge in his anticipation. Tori had seen his grand father Genma use it when they trained together and he was able to use it when he knew his opponent but now he needed to study his quarry.

Naruto on the other hand had studied the style the boy used and had no doubt it was polyvalent and could change depending on the opponent but he had fought against Ranma too many times to care about his current quarry. Ranko took her place as referee, or rather as the one to signal the start of the fight. Anything goes meaning exactly that, anything goes.

"Hajime!" She exclaimed and went to the bleachers. The dojo remained silent for a couple of seconds as the combatants studied one another. Both shifted stances at the same time as they moved from one style to another. They dashed as fast as possible and the battle was joined. The moves were a blur to the spectators except for Sasuke who saw every action with his sharingan. Naruto went in with a sweep kick which Tori jumped over only to be on the receiving end of a haymaker punch which he barely bent under.

He didn't only dodge as he used his momentum in the air to back flip and deliver a kick aimed for Naruto's jaw. The blonde retreated just enough to seize the limb and redirect his opponent to fall. Tori recuperated his balance and dodged the axe kick which would have hit his stomach by rolling sideways.

Both stopped and smiled at the other. Naruto was in his element, he wanted to finish the warm ups.

"A nice fight, but my brother hasn't even started yet." Ranko commented from the side lines.

"Naruto hasn't even used any of his stamina and, quite frankly, he has enough energy to take on a whole army and then run a thousand laps around the village so I hope your brother can knock him out before he gets really serious." Sakura countered.

In fact Naruto took out five kunai from his pouch and launched them. Tori dodged them but Naruto already knew this would happen. The five weapons transformed into five Narutos who jumped on his opponents back.

"I guess I win." Naruto stated as he bent before his struggling adversary.

"You cheated! You had people jump me!" Tori stated.

"Hey! We're Naruto! We don't cheat!" The six exclaimed at the same time as the clones disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"What was that?" Ranko asked Sakura.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu, a forbidden technique in our village because it's use can kill someone too weak to use it properly." Sakura stated proudly. Sasuke, of course, had copied the technique but the sheer power needed to use it was beyond his. Even with Sakura's control over chakra he wouldn't have been able to attempt the technique.

"It's cheating! It was a one on one duel!" Tori exclaimed.

"They are technically Naruto so they aren't a cheat." Sasuke stated as tension once again rose in the dojo.

"Another round blondie and this time I'm not pulling my punches." The brown haired martial artist took a stance as Naruto did the same. There was no signal this time. The battle wasn't a spar but an all out duel. Naruto smiled as he took off his jacket for the enjoyment of the gathered ladies and the pain of his adversary. He stood in an undershirt and flexed his muscles at the free movement. Naruto grinned as he went back to the battle at hand. He and Tori quickly moved the battle outside the dojo and once again Nerima was witness to a duel of world class martial artists.

They stood near the koi pond where Ranma and his father used to spar daily as their mother opened the door to see outside and witness the cause of the commotion.

"Naruto is going to slaughter your kid." Hikari predicted sullenly.

"Tori was trained by myself and his grand fathers as well as Happosai so there's little chance of him losing." Akane countered as Naruto and Tori fought around the garden. Naruto was thrown at the pound but didn't sink in the waters but used them like any hard surface. He made a couple of hand seals and called an attack.

"Suiton! Sui bakudan no jutsu!" (Water technique! Water Exploding Bullet no jutsu!) He called as balls of condensed water rose around him and shot toward his adversary spraying him and the audience with water when the technique exploded. Naruto then made another set of seals as he called a new technique.

"Yukiton! Hyouchou!" (Snow technique! Ice pillar!) Naruto called and a pillar of ice immediately formed around his opponent who simply could turn his head.

"Alright, you win! But how do you do that?" Tori asked from his place encased in ice.

"Ki manipulation and intense training." Ranma answered from the wall as he made his way to the porch to rejoin with his wife and adopted sister, at least he guessed she was his adopted sister.

"Ranma." Akane deadpanned.

"Akane. . ." Ranma hesitated, not knowing how to approach the issues at hand.

"Ranma, how about we talk about those matters you have in mind later, when the children are in bed." Hikari suggested. Ranma nodded and his chest heaved from relief. Sakura was cheering for Naruto while Sasuke had copied the techniques as well as he could. The suidan he knew but it wasn't his speciality but the ice pillar was new. Naruto was slowly melting the ice with a basic fire technique. Tori broke free fast enough and he and Naruto started chatting merrily about techniques and the training methods they used. To say Tori wanted a weighed vest was an understatement.

Ranma chuckled at their antics and shook his head.

"That's a good change for Naruto, someone his age who doesn't have any prejudice." Ranma smiled contentedly.

Most of the night was spent exchanging idle chatter until Hikari declared it was late enough for the teens to go to sleep. Ryoma and Moegi were already fast asleep in their rooms.

Silence reigned over the room until, by some unknown signal, Hikari and Akane nodded and advanced upon Ranma.

"Err, what did I do?" Ranma yelped.

"Nothing much Ranma." Akane stated. Ranma looked from one to the other. He knew they looked a bit similar but when they were placed next to one another unless you knew what to look for you wouldn't see a difference.

"We just saw something you must have seen." Hikari continued.

"And what would that be?" He asked almost panicking. He was sure they would kill him. Hikari thinking she had just been a replacement for Akane, which wasn't true, and Akane just because he had replaced her. What followed completely surprised him.

Cliffhanger!

Evil, I know, I'm evil! EVIL! But you have another new chapter so don't complain.

This chapter is about 50% longer then usual in length to celebrate my 100 reviews! Review even more and you'll get a chapter two times longer. I almost covered the whole Nerima arc as I'll call it in one swift chapter but I'll stretch it for two more chapters at the very least sending the five travelling children to school just to get even more humour and training!


	9. chapter 9

Chapter 9

Is it just me or do people love my story? I now have over 120 reviews and counting! Well people, I must say that I love you and I give you another chapter of this story while I almost ignore my others but what can I say? I just love Naruto and I'm feeling inspired. I will now introduce more of the NWC before the real fun of Furikan high begins!

Disclaimer: It's all mine comprende! ALL MINE! All of the whole plot belongs to my brain which I own! However anything related to the characters and basic universes isn't mine thus I make no money. DAMN!

Now let the story begin!

The next morning the whole neighbourhood was awakened by the surprised shout Ranma released when he found himself in the middle of a human sandwich.

'Hikari is going to kill me.' He thought as he looked to his left where his wife was awakening. 'And if she doesn't it's Akane who's going to do it!' He thought resigned as he saw the other participant in their late night activities awakening. 'I'm screwed. . .literally!' He added for himself as a last joke so he would go with a smile.

"Ranma. . ." Hikari said as she stretched to get the soreness out of her system. "Good morning." She finished as she completed the motion right in front of her husband who looked like a deer caught in the headlight.

"Err. . .morning. . ." He answered dumbly. Hikari smiled and got up from the futon they had used. The other bundle started moving as well and Ranma braced himself for the coming murder.

"Ranma. . ." Akane started as she too stretched to ease her soreness. "Morning." She said simply making him look right at her and quickly closing his eyes.

"Well, he's reverted to being shy around women!" Hikari said as she rolled her eyes.

"He's always acted like this you know." Akane shook her head slowly.

"I guess we'll have to train him some more." Hikari said before she regained her place glued to Ranma's side. Akane joined her on the other side almost immediately.

The children awakened at the first shout and Tori, who had stepped out of bed from the racket, found two kunai pressed at his throat.

"Breakfast?" He asked the two boys who simply nodded. They let the heavily sleeping Ryoma to his dreams of pancakes and went down the stairs.

What they found in the kitchen was something the made Tori fear for his life and Naruto look expectant. Ranko and Sakura had taken upon themselves to cook the meal and it had turned into a competition.

"Oh god no!" Tori's expression went from a normally constituted Nerima martial artist with a teenager's stomach to the look of a prey taken by surprise by the predator. He wanted to flee for his life but his sister had already tied him to a chair. Naruto was waiting expectantly while Sasuke was actually enjoying the show.

"Toorii! You're going to eat it all understand?" Ranko commanded. The plate was already melting from the juices the thing had produced. Even Sasuke retreated a bit from sheer revulsion. That had to be the most sadistic way to train your body to resist poisons. A bit of time in hell seemed like a very sweet and merciful thing as long as they didn't feed you this kind of chemical waste.

Naruto was given something he dreamed about at night, something so wonderful he had classified it as the second marvel of his world, the first being Sakura. What was even better was Sakura serving him a bowl of what had to be a meal fit for a king, or rather an hokage. She served him an extra large bowl of beef and shrimp ramen! He took a careful bite, trying to savour the taste as long as possible. His eyes took a shine of their own as his already wide smile turned into an expression of complete beatitude.

"This. . .is. . .MARVELOUS! Sakura-chan, you make the best Ramen ever!" Naruto exclaimed as he was tackled to the ground for a very welcomed kiss. The Ramen looked mightily nice to Tori who was being fed through the parlé de foi gras and didn't dare say a word or open his mouth for fear of being fed the slop his sister had cooked up.

Sasuke stepped outside to train in the courtyard and found Fey Briz holding a box from her ramen store.

"Ohayo Airen! You take Fey Briz on date yes?" The amazon asked. Sasuke only grunted as he moved to take a stand but he already had a burden on his arm caused by his amazon wife who was dragging him towards town.

"Hey, where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked Sakura who only shrugged as she took her position.

"I don't know Naruto but he can take care of himself." She said as she took a stance to begin their practice. Tori laid on the porch in an open display of pain as Ranko joined him to observe the fight.

Ranma had just gotten out of the death hold his wife and his. . . rather their lover had kept on him and rejoined his estranged children.

"How about I teach you two a thing or two?" Ranma asked as he looked at the battle taking place where he and his father had once sparred.

"You're our father aren't you?" Tori said with a frown. He got up at the silent admittance Ranma gave and he walked to the dojo without a word.

"He's bitter because I left you three before I even knew you were there right?" He asked the red haired girl sullenly.

"It's not your fault, we were told the whole story and you weren't willing to leave mom. It's just that. . ." She didn't finish her sentence but Ranma beat her to it.

"I'm not what either of you really thought they would have in a dad right?" Ranma said. "I mean I'm no superhuman and I have children and a student even stronger then either of you are even with all the training you both put into your fighting." Ranko nodded, almost ashamed to be jealous of Naruto.

"Come with me, you both need to ear this I think." Ranma told her as he turned towards the dojo. Ranko followed and entered first to find her brother breaking cinder bricks to pass off his frustration.

"What do you want?" He asked as he placed another stack on the support.

"To talk to you, nothing more for now. I was a little too fast back there I guess." Ranma said as he kneeled on the floor where the sensei usually sits.

"What is there to talk about! You came to visit and you're leaving at the end of the stupid month! Why bother come here at all?" Tori asked as he started pacing.

"Because I thought everyone here had found closure in the time I was gone." Ranma answered calmly.

"Closure? Do you know what mom had to endure all these years?" Tori asked enraged as he broke even more bricks.

"I can guess. . ." Ranma sighed sadly as he looked up. "But I endured my share of hardships as well."

"What kind? Having a family and a wife and children?" Tori screamed.

"Those were the good things just as you and Ranko must have been to Akane." Ranma said with a far away look. "Where we live is no dream land, there's death and violence all around us. I've seen families' thorn apart by hatred, others destroyed by greed and I've even had to fight some of my best friends when they stepped out of line. It's not about the code of the martial artist but the way of the ninja. I've killed some of those who I thought closest to me until death and walked away with my guilty conscience." Tori looked almost horrified at this statement but turned away trying to maintain a semblance of anger.

"We've been called bastards, unwanted children and some names were even worst. Kuno even called us Burakumin." Tori stopped and turned towards his father who was releasing a murderous aura in the air.

"Kuno is a moron and the worst part is that he's being followed by some more morons." Ranma stated as though it would calm his mind.

"Mom was still waiting for you father." Ranko said from the sidelines.

"You do know that if I had know many of the things I know now I wouldn't have married back then?" Ranma asked while he looked in the air. "If I had known that Akane was pregnant I wouldn't even have gone after Happosai that night but I didn't know. If I had known when I arrived in the other world I never would have even thought about staying there but me and your mother had something of a deal back then. We were somewhat a couple but if something happened to the other the remaining one would get on with his or her life." Ranma chuckled at that. "Even that I kind of messed it up in a sick and twisted way. Me unable to make it back and Akane unable to get on with a normal life."

Tori sat down as Ranma got up and moved towards the door.

"What you said, about my leaving in a month is right but your mother wanted me to ask you something. I don't need your answer until I leave but if you two are willing to come with us we have more then enough space." Ranma said as he reached the door. "Akane will stay with the both of you no matter what but the final decision is yours to make." Ranma closed the door and sat on the porch to watch Naruto and Sakura train in aerial combat.

In the dojo the conversation wasn't as heated as it had been.

"What's the matter with mom anyway? Asking us a question like that!" Tori asked to his sister.

"It's obvious Baka! She's still in love with him and whether they had made this promise or not mom would have waited for him either way, even if we hadn't been born." Ranko said.

"So we're a pretext now!" Tori growled angrily.

"I don't think so. Mom loves us and I think she believes we'd be happier in the same world as our father, somewhere we wouldn't be 'bastards' as we're labelled here." Ranko retorted.

"We'd still be considered the same Ranko, our parents aren't married and it's pretty darn obvious we're his children. Worst, he's married to someone else!" Tori shot back.

"You're wrong about that." A new voice rang around the dojo. The form of Hikari came out of the shadows almost identical to Akane's albeit a bit more battle hardened.

"Really? And why is that?" Tori asked sarcastic. "A fairy is going to make us all into your family?"

"Ranma explained that death was something we saw everyday didn't he?" she asked to which the twins only nodded. "When you live in a world as violent as ours there are some. . .rather unique conditions that happen. Many children are born outside of marriage because of one night before a stressful missions, some kunoichi even sleep with their targets to get to them." Hikari almost winced when she said that but continued. "Others are captured and. . .let's just say you don't want to be a captured kunoichi." Ranko looked paler with each sentence while Tori closed his eyes revolted at the mere thought. "Sometimes things happen and we never see the children born of these. . .circumstances as bastards. It would be dishonouring their mother and themselves."

"Have you ever been. . .?" Ranko hesitated to ask her question.

"Ranma and me started going out after one of those 'nights', he just needed the comfort when he had to kill one of his own men who had betrayed. That man was his first ever student." Hikari blushed at the memories. "As for the missions I never needed to, my targets always die before I even set foot within ten feet of them." Her face was now showing a predator's look. "And as for the capture. . .it almost happened once. Ranma left nothing of the bandits who even thought about touching me. That's how I fell in love with him, he actually tore the beating heart of the bandit out of his chest with his bare hands and shoved it where the sun doesn't shine!" Hikari said happily while Tori and Ranko stared at her.

"Just how violent is your world anyway?" Ranko asked while Tori was contemplative.

"Too violent when there's war, we're at peace at the moment but the ninja villages are countries on their own within countries so we handle a double share of war. When the country goes to war and the wars between the different ninja villages." Hikari explained.

"I guess it seems bleak and full of gore and violence but it's not all that bad, we do get a bit of fun nowadays." Hikari said with a bright smile. "I'll leave the two of you to think about all of this." She stated before she disappeared into the shadows.

Ranma was still looking at the battle when someone knocked at the door. Out of habit, he walked to the front door and opened.

"Hello, how may I. . ." He froze, his mother, Nodoka Saotome was staring at him along with the giant panda that was his father.

"Son ?" The woman asked as tears came to her eyes.

"It's me mom, dad." He said. The panda started dancing while it waved a sign saying something about the joining of the school. "I came back to visit, I have to go back in about a month." He said freezing the mood.

"You do know about Akane and _your _children." Nodoka said with steel in her voice.

"I do but there are other variables in this." Ranma countered as he guided his parents to the kitchen where he was assaulted by Moegi and Ryoma.

"Otou-san!" They both shouted happily as they launched themselves at their father.

"You said we'd train when we made it to your friends house!" Ryoma said.

"How about you ask Naruto to train you while I talk to your grand parents you two. But first you have to present yourself." Ranma said as he gave his father a thermos of hot water. The panda nodded and went to change.

"Hello children, I'm Nodoka, your grand mother and who might you be?" She asked visibly more tender in front of yet more family.

"I'm Moegi Saotome, nice to meet you!" The little girl said as she bowed politely.

"Hello I'm Ryoma!" The youngest of the Saotomes said as he hid behind his father. Moegi yanked him up front and he nervously bowed before he went back to hiding.

"I'm pleased to meet you as well." Nodoka bowed back slightly. "How about you go play outside while I talk to your father?"

"Hai!" Both answered before they ran out to find Naruto.

Silence reigned until Genma came in the room.

"I take it they are the reason you're not staying." Nodoka said.

"Yes, that and my wife and responsibilities. It's a long story to tell where I ended up but I think I can sum it up." Ranma said as he sat near the table.

"When I arrived some people took me for a local criminal on the run, it's not a world as sophisticated as our own. It's still ruled like Japan was in the feudal era with one exception. Ninjas control states of their own within the major countries. I stumbled across one of these villages while I was running and they let me integrate their community." Ranma paused to look outside at Naruto who was now instructing Moegi and Ryoma.

"Back there I founded the Saotome clan anew. It's small for now but with my two children and my wife it'll become larger and larger. I'm also a captain of the elite forces amongst the ninjas and a teacher for Masabetsu Kakuto." Ranma turned his gaze to his parents. "The Saotome name doesn't have any honour here but where I am now it is a respected clan, even if it is young and small for now." He returned his eyes to the training session in the yard.

"I understand Ranma." His father looked at the ground. "I know I sullied the name of our clan but it didn't help that you disappeared as Akane became pregnant." Genma said sullenly.

"I know that already. I offered to bring them all back with me, somewhere they wouldn't be seen as an obscene clan and be respected." Ranma said never averting his gaze from his children. "Akane will come if her children want to. If you wish I could take the two of you with us. I know some people who could use Father's skills in missions. As for you mother our children are alone a lot of time since Hikari has her own missions."

"You mean that she's. . ." Nodoka started as Hikari walked in and sat next to her husband. She was wearing a long pair of silk pants upon which her holster was strapped, she wore a ninja chain mail under a sleeveless jounin vest modified a bit and her fore head protector over her neck.

"A Kunoichi, yes, I am one." Hikari said as she bowed.

"I am Hikari Saotome, Ranma's wife. I suppose you are Mr and Mrs Saotome. I'm honoured to meet you." She said before she sat next to Ranma.

"The honour is our dear." She replied as Ranma called to Naruto and Sakura.

"Hey son! Sakura! Come here would you?" Ranma shouted. The two teens seemed to disappear and appeared right next to them. Ryoma and Moegi were sparring supervised by a kage bunshin of Naruto.

"Hai, what is it dad?" He asked.

"I just wanted to present you to my parents."

"Ohayo Baasan, ojiisan!" Naruto said happily just as Sakura hit the back of his head.

"Be polite you baka!" She turned to the two elder Saotome. "Excuse him but he lacks manners. I'm Sakura Haruno and this baka is. . ." She was about to present Naruto as a Saotome but Naruto cut her.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" He exclaimed. "Let's go back to training Sakura-chan!" He dragged the kunoichi back to where the children had now tackled his shadow replication.

"Your students?" Genma asked knowing his basic style.

"Naruto is our adopted son." Ranma answered first. "And Sakura is his girlfriend."

The elder Saotome almost asked about a marriage agreement but the look in Ranma's eyes was enough to make him back down and actually think or rather revert to his survival instincts.

"He's a manly young man I suppose." Nodoka said with a smile. "But fighting with a girl like that. . ." She frowned but Ranma cut her.

"Remember that a good part of the population is composed of ninjas, trained warriors who can be either men or women. She's from a minor clan and Naruto is the last of his clan which was once a major clan." Ranma paused and frowned in perceptible anger but Hikari continued the explications.

"Naruto's parents died when a demon attacked our village and he's been an orphan since then but. . .no one wanted to take care of him for reasons we deem classified." She didn't say anymore even if Genma seemed interested. Anything classified could be valuable and worth lots of money.

"He's a lot like Ranko and Tori in that he's never really been accepted but he didn't even have a mother or father to take care of him, merely someone who punished him when he didn't obey. We took him in and raised him as good as possible." Hikari finished.

"You both did the right thing. I'm proud of you my son." Nodoka said formally. Ranma was about to answer when a resounding crash could be eared in the backyard. The fence was trashed and a figure with an umbrella and a backpack stood there glowing a sickly green colour.

"Ranma Saotome, I challenge you to battle!" The fanged man jumped at the pigtailed man only to be intercepted by Akane's frying pan in the face.

"Ryoga! I already told you not to fight when you come here! If you want to fight it will be after you repair the fence and apologize to the kids!" Akane angrily scolded to Ranma's mirth. She then walked to her ex-fiancé and kissed him square on the mouth. Ryoga's aura became even greener, but this time it was with jealousy. Depression would soon follow and Ranma didn't fancy facing a perfect Shishi Hokodan near the Tendo home.

Hikari was taking it all in stride while Nodoka was happily cheering her manly son. Akane supervised the reconstruction of the wall while Ranma prepared for his battle but when Ryoga finished working Ranko, whom had gotten out of the dojo, drenched the man who turned into a piglet and quickly put him into a cat cage.

"Sorry about this Ryoga-san but there's going to be an organised event for you to fight in." She said as she took out a poster with the pictures of Ryoga and Ranma put in a face-off style. "Ranma's triumphant return against his most heated rival! Ryoga Hibiki! Betting are open!"

"She takes after Nabiki doesn't she?" Ranma asked.

The residents of his homeworld only nodded as she took out her cell phone and called her associates to start the ticket sales.

"Thinking about Nabiki, we need to call her." Ranma said.

Meanwhile Naruto was sparing with Sakura, the arrival of Ryoga had stopped their workout but they only jumped to the roof to practice balance and precise movements instead of ground based acrobatics. Naruto had to admit his body was stronger and faster with it's latest 'modifications' and so was Sakura's. He had needed to use some of his father's weighed clothing instead of his own to compensate the difference in strength. Sakura's curse made a bit of a difference but even then Naruto didn't like that way of gaining power.

He had the firm belief that working for your strength was a requirement; strength doesn't come as a gift but to those who work for it. His father had never been given such a 'gift of power' but as much as Naruto liked his newfound strength he also despised it. He stopped abruptly as he blocked Sakura's left hook and sat down on the roof holding her hand.

"Sakura, why are you in your cursed form?" He asked.

"It's stronger, faster and it's. . .better then my own body. . ." Sakura blushed a bit but Naruto didn't catch the implications. "It's also. . .well, you're always like that so I guess I just want to be a little more like you." She admitted as she opened the link they shared. It had been long but they could at least control when they wanted to be eared now.

'What's the matter Naruto?' She asked.

'It's just that I feel we're cheating somehow.' He answered. Sakura sighed and thought for a second.

'Naruto, just think of it like a bloodline limit, it's not cheating but awakening something.' She answered and Naruto smiled slightly.

'There's not only that. I'm not the container of the fox anymore but the demon itself, how do you think I feel?' He sent back but the girl didn't have to answer as she felt what exactly it was he felt. It was a weird mixture of feelings which were foreign and familiar at the same time. She felt his loneliness, his loathing, his love for his family, his playfulness, his anger, his joy; she felt his everything at the same time. The feelings didn't come from her but she knew what they were anyway.

"Naruto. . ."she said as he looked down.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know this would happen." He answered as he let go of her hand. Sakura immediately took it back in her own not letting him fall into self pity.

"Naruto, I know how you feel, not because I can imagine it but because I felt it just now. And you know what I felt most of all?" she said as she forced him to look into her eyes.

"What? Anger? Loathing or maybe even hatred."

"None of that, I felt your Love. Your love for your family, the village, your friends and even your love for Ramen." She drew him into her arms and hugged him tightly. "And most of all, I felt your love for me. . ." She trailed off and kissed him softly before she whispered into his ear. "I love you too Naruto-kun. . ."

The boy shuddered at the sultry whisper but hugged back his girlfriend, letting go of his apprehensions.

Later that day Ranma launched the bombshell over his family. Sasuke had made it back from his meeting with the amazons under the guise of a henge no jutsu. The girl was still convinced Sasuke was with her at that exact moment even if it was a simple illusion.

"Kids, you're going to go to school!" Ranma exclaimed. Ryoma jumped for joy since he hadn't started the academy while Moegi slumped a bit since she was supposed to be on a vacation. Naruto Sasuke and Sakura looked appalled.

"Dad. . .we finished the academy a while ago, we don't need more schoolings." Naruto said as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"It's different here son, it's not a ninja school but a normal school where you learn history, maths, sciences and lots of other stuff. You need to know some of this if you want to be Hokage one day." Ranma knew it would get him.

"ALRIGHT! You're on! I'm going to become the Hokage and show everyone once I learn this stuff!" Naruto jumped around a bit before he finally calmed down.

The next morning was a rush. Ranma and Hikari were helping Moegi and Ryoma prepare while Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto prepared for their day. The need for a uniform was met with the same reaction. All three rolled their eyes and left without the ridiculous garnment. Kuno didn't impose a haircut like his father had but wearing the hakama and a boken was out of the question.

They were all sorted into the same classroom which a certain Mrs Hinako taught first thing in the morning.

"Good morning class, today we have three exchange students who will attend our class for about a month." The young teacher wasn't wearing the hakama either and didn't say a thing about their lack of respect towards the dress code. The fact that she looked like a 15 year old didn't help matters much. Sucking chakra had stopped being fun when her mature body had reached the 40's. being an old maid sucked to say the least but being a teen wasn't much fun either, especially when the boys were perverts. "This is Haruno Sakura." Sakura entered the classroom and bowed politely before she introduced herself.

"Hello, I'm Sakura and it's nice to meet you!" She said with a smile.

"Uchiha Sasuke." The teacher called to the dark boy who entered with a frown upon his features.

". . ." He didn't even bow, already the girls, which actually included the _teacher_ were whispering about his looks. He took his designated place and waited for the course.

"And finaly Saotome Naruto." The boy came in and went to the teacher.

"Sorry, a mistake here, it's Uzumaki Naruto." She rectified. The damage was done. The name Saotome was infamous for many things and amongst them were Ranma, womanizing and perversion for some reason.

"Ohayo!" the boy exclaimed in his usual loud manner. He was tempted to use one of his jutsus which he actually used for pranks but what would be the use in that anyway. He sat besides Sakura and almost immediately became attentive.

As the class started someone was creeping around the building, someone very skilled by his own words and ready to play pranks upon poor Furikan high. Something Naruto was very skilled at was multitasking. He had a Kage Bunshin in class taking notes and since the clone wasn't himself he wasn't about to fall asleep. Meanwhile he and about fifty of his copies were getting ready for the greatest prank he would ever play upon somebody.

His actual targets were limited. Getting Sakura or Ranko would award him a swift death while he didn't want to attack Tori who was probably the first person to ever contact him without any preconceived views. So there was only one real target possible for this prank and that was Sasuke. He needed to do many things and dividing himself into different places was easy for anyone who mastered kage bunshin. What was harder was to keep control of yourselves. It took him all morning to get ready and he smiled as though he had eaten a cart full of ramen. He exchanged places with his clone and the copy simply disappeared.

Furikan's lunch hour was never that eventful.

Naruto, with his large grin, walked under the tree Sakura, Ranko, Tori and Sasuke were sitting under.

"What have you done now?" Sakura asked while Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Tori ate his lunch trying to pilfer some more from his sister who was in constant communication with her associates for the battle the next day. The betting pool was going strong and the ticket sales were raising enough money to cover winning bets. The fact that her rates on Ryoga winning were high there were lots of bets against Ranma but many of the adults who would skip their day at their job just for the battle were betting on him. There were also side bets on interruptions and the long shot of a draw. In other words, business was picking up for the young Saotome.

Naruto gulped down his lunch just in time to see the principal approach them.

"Pigtailled girl, I am one step closer to freeing thou from the evil sorceror's hold!" He proclaimed as he went to hug Ranko. Naruto lifted an eyebrow at the display but the man stopped all of a sudden at seeing Naruto.

"Gaïjin! What are you doing in this sacred ground of education?" He demanded of Naruto.

"Learning." He said as he sent the command to change the plans to his clones. The principal needed a good prank.

"Nay! I shall never allow one impure to frequent these holy grounds!" He was starting his speech and Naruto grinned as he quickly ordered his clones to act. Spontaneous was the best word to describe Naruto after all.

Five clones moved faster then the eye could see stripping the moron to his underwear upon which were printed two pictures, one of his pigtailed girl and one of a younger Akane. The next attack wrapped him in toilet paper, wet toilet paper once the next attack hit. Finaly, his clones tied his feet and tied him to the flag pole with the rope. Students saluted their new flag and the teachers had a good laugh reading the paper which spelled the words 'Idiot', 'moron', 'asshole' and many other colourful words. Sasuke would have been funnier as he would have been female but there were other occasions.

Ranma saluted the flag as well when he passed by the school later that day while the mummified Kuno struggled to attack the demon sorcerer who had sent one of his hell spawns in his school. The ninja walked into a flower shop, only to try to back away from the Evil with a capital 'E', shop. He had, in front of him, the most evil of his suitors after Tatewaki Kuno: Kodachi Kuno.

"Hello how may I. . .Ranma-sama? Is that you?" The crazy gymnast looked at him wide eyed as she almost charged to take hold of him, not to mention drug him and then have her way with his helpless body. Ranma used a kawarimi in an immediate reflex appearing on the roof of the very shop the girl apparently owned. He did the only thing logical and ran as the battle cry, or rather laugh, of the black rose rang across the streets. Animals started to flee Nerima at this point. It was a sign, a prelude to the upcoming apocalypse. Ranma was amongst those animals just as Mr. Gator was, showing that not only the rats left a boat in perdition.

The horrible sound brought shudders to all those who eared but one thing outstripped them all, one thing so horrible, so despicable, so Evil (not me, HIM!) that it's battle cry left young ladies screaming and running.

"SWEETO!" Happosai was by far the worst creature Nerima housed followed closely by Ataru, even then it wasn't the other way around because the younger pervert had a powerful alien fiancée. Still, Happosai was by far the worst of the Nerimians and his favourite targets happened to frequent Furikan, Tomobiki was far too dangerous and Nuku-Nuku didn't really feel human at all so it wasn't worth the thrill of the chase.

He was doing his normal rounds in his sector when he saw a new face around, a strong one at that. The girl held a strong aura around her and Happosai, even if he took pleasure in collecting his precious panties, used the extra ki to sustain his life. Good thing it was PE period too, the girls were easier to steal from then and the chase was even more entertaining afterwards.

Happosai used his usual tactic, the frontal and very perverted assault, and jumped into the fray of young girls taking more additions to his collection but obviously going to the girl with the yellow slitted eyes. He was about to jump on her too when something stopped him. something inhuman, dangerous, animal and even, happosai swallowed a lump in his throat, demonic.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. . ." the blonde and red haired boy in front of Happosai growled. The red lines upon his face made him at least a Hanyou but his aura of power felt even stronger then those of half demons. No, this boy was at least a full demon. The pointed ears were a good indicator. The last time Happosai had seen one was years ago. A Taiyoukai named Sesshoumaru whom had almost killed the young man Happosai had been.

"Demon. . ." Happosai said as he took out his pipe for battle.

Naruto had been bored out of his mind when he felt Sakura's distress. He could smell an air of fear and intense hate coming from the girls side of the PE course and he had immediately rushed to protect his mate. He didn't think like a human at that moment. He was a fox and his priority was to protect what was his. He intercepted the intruder and growled at him. The small bug like man took out a pipe which Naruto didn't care about. He was going to pulverize that man for having menaced his mate.

"Yes, I'm a demon. What are you going to do about it?" The boy growled as his chakra took a visual form. The field was cleared by any of the other students as Ranko took bets, most of which were against Naruto.

"Why send you back into hell little boy!" the old man stated trying to get a rise out of the young entity in front of him.

"Try as you might perv, I'm here to stay." Naruto shot back as tails of chakra unfolded behind his metaphoric form. Happosai's battle aura took form trying to dominate the battle ground but it was belittled by the gigantic form of the Kyuuby. His aura actually had just the size of a flee to the demonic aura that surrounded Naruto.

Happosai sweated as he found himself in a pinch. His aura was weaker, several times weaker in fact, then the one this demon displayed without much of an effort. Most of the students didn't see the aura but Ranko, Tori, Sakura and Sasuke did, Sasuke better then the others because of his Sharingan.

'Kyuuby ? But that would mean. . .' He thought as he looked directly at Naruto and saw some sort of seal around him centered on his navel.

"What the hell is that?" Tori said as the aura howled making Happosai's diminish as it seemed to grow enough to dwarf the diminutive old man.

'Only two things I can do now. . . I'll only get one chance at this." Happosai quickly lit his pipe with his aura and charged unexpectedly. He used his skill as a thief to deliver his opening and final blow by using a technique Genma had invented and supposedly sealed: the Umisenken.

"Masabetsu Kakuto Happosaï Ryu: Ultimate weakness Moxibustion technique!" He had reached the far reach of Naruto's back and actually touched the boy at the exact point needed to weaken him forever.

Naruto turned to the diminutive man and was barely in time to catch the incoming boulder aimed at him.

CLIFFHANGER!

There! A new chapter finished on the very date of my birthday! YAY! Celebrate people for I am a year older and even wiser (or rather even more of a messed up otaku with enough brain cells to hold onto one thought and only that one).

Reviews are welcomed and flames cannot hurt me for I have slain a red dragon and made enough dragon hide armours to barely feel a gentle breeze from the fires of the very pits of hell, it helps to slay balrogs as well.


	10. Chapter 10

Saotome Naruto

Disc : Not mine, neither of them are.

Note: I'm thinking of concluding Saotome Naruto since Naruto isn't a Saotome anymore. I'll make a sequel called Uzumaki School of Anything Goes which would start right after it.

Chapter 10

Naruto did not only catch the large rock, he shattered it to bits and pieces. To say that Happosai stared at his adversary would be weak. The pervert took in his options and decided to take a page from Genma's book. He got to his knees and bowed to the ground.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll never do it again! I swear!" Happosai was bowing with his hands within his black gi. He was taking out one of his bombs just as Naruto stood out of his fighting stance.

"Get out of here pervert, and don't come back." He said seriously.

"I won't be the one to leave! Happo Dai Karin!" Happosai lit the fuse of his bomb with a burst of ki and threw it at the unprepared Naruto. The ninja reacted out of reflex with a precise slice of one of his kunai. He severed the fuse and took out one of his explosive tags that he charged with a bit of chakra. He caught the bomb in one hand and stuck the piece of paper on it. He wound back and threw the projectile at the old man.

"Nice try but I know how to counter my own technique!" Happy batted the bomb with a stick he took out 'hammer space' (theory on hammer space at the end of the fic).

"Bang!" Naruto said just as the stick made contact. The combined energies of the explosive tag and the bomb blew a crater into the ground within which Happosai laid down smoking.

The crowd of women took this opportunity to rush in and take their justified vengeance upon the pervert who had no way of escaping or defending himself. Ranko joined in on the fun but Sakura only went to Naruto.

"What was that about Naruto? I can defend myself perfectly you moron!" She slapped the back of his head just before she kissed his cheek. "It was sweet though." She then smiled at him before she turned for the locker room.

Naruto went to the boy's locker room where he saw Sasuke and Tori.

"Does either of you get girls?" He asked as he looked confused.

"If you ever do understand them THEN you'll have a problem." Tori announced.

"Why didn't his technique work anyway?"

"I dunno, what was it supposed to do?" Naruto asked.

"It was a pressure point attack." Sasuke said. "He tried to use it to make you as weak as a kitten but your weights blocked the attack." Tori looked at him amazed of his capacity to analyse.

"How did you know?" He asked to Sasuke who simply ignored him and started analysing the battle.

"Don't worry about him; he has this thing about brooding and angst for some reason." Naruto said as he shook his head. Neither he Sasuke or Tori had even broken a sweat during PE, only Happosai's irruption had made Naruto work enough to need the shower. Sasuke stood as far from the water as possible but what was to happen, happened. . .

"WATER FIGHT!" One of the guys screamed as he flung a bucket of cold water towards the Uchiha who was hard pressed from dodging the cold liquid that sprayed everywhere.

Naruto eared those words and couldn't stop himself, he had to. . .attack. His hands went through the seals of a basic water attack which sent cold but harmless bullets of water towards everyone, the fact that at least twenty were sent in Sasuke's general direction was a simple hazard, he was a casualty of war, nothing else.

While dodging the attacks of untrained people was easy, the concentrated attack Naruto sent at him had only one escape possible. Sasuke made quick seals and the water hit another student who seemed to be blending into the background. Running not being his style, Sasuke did the first thing that went through his head.

"Raiton!" He called as he prepared to shock Naruto into submission. He started to gather his chakra just when a simple water balloon hit him over the head. Sasuke-chan turned to the shocked boy whom had gotten him. His fingers were sparkling with electricity and Sasuke wasn't one to waste chakra.

"Raiken no Jutsu!" He touched the boy who had dared to get him with one finger. He fell to the ground twitching from the shock but the water had the unfortunate effect of conducting the current to everyone in the room including the female Sasuke. When everyone woke up, Naruto, Tori and Sasuke had disappeared leaving them to ponder on what had happened.

The group arrived at the dojo to find a large scale battle going on. Kodachi and her brother were there both trying to date/kill Ranma. Khu Lon was chuckling from the side lines as Shampoo and Mu Tsu rolled their eyes at the spectacle. Ukyou shook her head at the siblings' foolishness and Fey Briz jumped on her airen the moment he came into view.

Sasuke was fuming; he was female, wet and pissed when she jumped on him.

"Let go of me or I'll make you hurt." He threatened in a voice so deep Fey Briz let go of his neck, almost scared for her safety.

"You no threaten Xiang Pu's daughter! She your honoured wife!" The amazon scolded her son in law. Mu Tsu was shaking with rage but Sasuke turned to them with a look of pure scorn in his eyes.

"If she leaves me alone I won't hurt her. It's that simple." He walked away to the bathroom as Sakura went to Fey Briz's side along with Ranko. Naruto sat with the amazons at the table just as his father sent the morons into the stratosphere.

"Xiang Pu, Mu Tsu, I'd tell your daughter to take it slowly with him." He said cautiously, knowing that amazons seldom took things slow.

"He's her husband Saotome, he has to take it like a man!" Mu Tsu said.

"Sasuke has some major anger issues, to him anyone and everyone is either a nuisance or an obstacle." Naruto said as he nodded to himself for giving this piece of his wisdom.

"And he has the strength to kill your daughter." Ranma said.

"But unlike you he doesn't restrain himself when he fights does he?" The matriarch said. "Meaning his threats weren't just rubbish."

"Exactly, he would have attacked and possibly killed her." Ranma approved. He then turned to see Sasuke coming back down from the bathroom male and calmer. "The curse doesn't help him."

"Xiang Pu understand, I tell Fey Briz not to greet airen with amazon glomp attack." She said as she saw her son in law in a new light. Ranma had been a prime catch in his youth. He seldom hit women even with his strength which was by far superior to that of even her great grand-mother. Sasuke was another story, no one was truly safe from him since every one was just as likely of getting hit by him, male or female, and he did it without restraint.

"How about I get him to let some steam out dad?" Naruto asked with a very characteristic grin on his face.

"Like you did with Iruka last time? You're not even getting near Sasuke right now. Naruto." Scolded his mother remembering when she had found the academy teacher tied to the roof of the women's onsen so he could relax. To say Iruka didn't relax would be an understatement.

"Aw, mom!" He whined but decided to join in on the battle royal in the courtyard between almost every denizens of Nerima. If he couldn't prank Sasuke at least he'd get some battling. His siblings were already beating the crap out of the Kunos while he took on some creepy kid wielding a hammer.

It didn't take long for the brawl to degenerate, several people added themselves to the fight, most of them for old time's sake.

After about five minutes of pounding on random people, someone serious came around. Seeing the random acts of destruction had made Ryoga feel nostalgia, however seeing the all out brawl going on right in front of the Tendo home made him all out mad.

"SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIE!" The fanged man screamed towards the crowd. The fight froze for a second and most protagonists left the vicinity in a hurry, who would want to be in the middle of a Hibiki vs Saotome rumble?

"Which one?" Naruto asked, getting ready to fight but Ranma jumped in front of him.

"I'm the only one he knows." Ranma said. "How about we take this somewhere else ? I wouldn't want to mess Akane's house.

"BECAUSE OF YOU I'VE SEEN HELL!" Ryoga charged and hit the place where Ranma had been standing a second before. The pigtailed man lead him towards Furikan high's soccer field followed by almost every nerimians. Ranko quickly organised the betting pool and took the names while running to her usual spot.

"Hey piggy, what makes you so mad? Is it the kids or the fact that you still can't find your way out of your own bathroom?" Ranma asked conversationally.

"YOU DISSHONOURED AKANE YOU BASTARD! THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL ATONE FOR THAT IS THROUGH DEATH!" Ryoga screamed. Ranma didn't waste time leading him through the spiral of his former finishing attack.

"As if you never had a perverted thought in your life Ryoga. You've thought plenty of times about what we did and probably worst things." Ranma told him with clear intentions.

"DIE!" Ryoga lunged with a haymaker that Ranma jumped over before he extended his legs upon the arm of his enemy. He then kicked Ryoga right in the face without much actual effect. Ranma then jumped before the lost man could counter his move.

"I have been within the deepest pits of the deepest hell Saotome." Ryoga focussed his power between his palms and quickly released the ultimate Shi-shi Hokodan. It flattened Ranma with it's mass of depression. He knew it wouldn't be enough but it would keep Ranma down a few seconds.

Ranma had to struggle to get to his feet, Ryoga had become a lot stronger.

"Nice one Ryoga, you've become quite powerful." Ranma stated with a grin.

"So have you, you honourless cur!" Ryoga growled as he prepared a second attack, this time he glowed a violent red. Ranma couldn't let him unleash that much power into a single attack, so he did what his art was all about, improvising.

"This is all the rage I've built up since you left Akane Saotome, my perfect rage attack! Kakudo Yamayujira Ha!" A stream of red ressembling the head of a boar rushed towards Ranma.

"Hyoton! Hyoken no Jutsu!" Ranma screamed as he slammed his fist onto the ground. He made his aura rise as high as he could betting his victory on his quickly thought plan.

As he had planned, the ice he created followed the natural flow of his chakra and created a spiral of ice around him. The heat of the anger attack Ryoga had released followed the corridor created between the coils of ice. However, it wasn't rising up to the air as it approached Ranma to Ryoga's immense pleasure. Ranma was plotting his next move with his few seconds of reprive until the blast hit. People had already begun a countdown, hoping for a Hiryu Shoten Ha. They got more than they were asking for.

"Hiryu Shoten Ha Revised!" Ranma called as the heated aura Ryoga had released reached him and suddenly rose up along with the characteristic corkscrew uppercut. "Hyoryujin Chuuten HA!" Ryoga realised his mistake and his upcoming defeat when a wall of wind swept him towards the sky.

Like any self respecting reporter, Yamatoshi Tojima knew that a scoop could happen at any time, the fact that he was doing the traffic report from an helicopter didn't mean much to him, only that he'd be the first one informed by the police if there was a car chase and that someone with more experience would take his footage to talk about it. He had also eared that the Nerima ward of Tokyo was restricted for it's aerial traffic for some reason. That only made him more curious.

There were rumours about the place for sure, aliens, androids, monsters from another world but he would never believe until he saw with his own eyes. But what he saw that day would never be published in any newspaper or television journal. He was flying over the Juuban district when he saw something which shouldn't be, it passed so fast he couldn't ascertain to it but he could have sworn he had just seen a pig flying from the tornado his producer didn't want any footage of. As if they would be getting better than a tornado of the highest degree of winds strengths appearing and disappearing in a year of footage, even if it came from the Nerima district.

The wind subsided quickly as the source of the heat dissipated along with Ryoga's consciousness. Ranma was still standing, fist raised from his recent attack and his body frozen in ice.

"What happened to Ryoga?" He asked as he shook the ice from his body.

"The baka got stuck by a melting chunk of ice and was sent out of the tornado in his cursed form." Akane told him as she presented him a towel.

"I hope he get's to Akari's farm or something, he might calm down if he did." Ranma said as he threw the towel over his shoulders.

"How about we get back to the dojo and you can tell us what you did to him." Ranko said as she counted her money from her winnings.

The contingent of Saotomes calmly returned to the dojo but one member of their party was thinking in a corner.

'I saw how it worked, I saw the chakra but I couldn't see how he moulded it. Why?' Sasuke thought as the sharingan receded from his pupils. 'I should have seen how they did their techniques, that's the power of the sharingan, is it that I haven't truly awakened the technique? Impossible, I could see the difference from my normal eyesight, I saw the chakra, is it that I need a higher level of awakening?'

"You won't figure it out sonny-boy." An old voice sounded from behind him. The ninja reacted on instinct and threw a kunai towards the darkness the voice came from.

"Come out, hiding in the darkness from a shinobi is the paramount of suicide." Sasuke stated as he took out another kunai from his pouch.

"Confident as well." Khu Long came out of the shadows holding the blade the Uchiha had thrown a few seconds before.

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked as sheathed his weapon.

"I was simply entertaining myself with this battle when I saw your expression. You were trying to understand the technique Ranma used." The old woman told him as she returned the kunai she was holding.

"So? It's not a crime to do so." Sasuke responded with an edge to his voice.

"No but you could never figure the secret to this particular technique, I'm surprised Ranma even learned it with his hot headed attitude." Khu Lon shook her head as she surveyed the damage made to the field.

"And you know this secret?" Sasukle asked, trying to get some light shining upon this mistery.

Khu Long started laughing in response.

"Know the secret? I'm the one who taught him that technique and I can safely assume that he'll never teach it to you" She said between peals of laughter.

"Then teach it to me!" Sasuke almost ordered, earning him a staff on his head.

"To you? Never! You clearly threatened my great great grand daughter boy, you didn't earn the right to be trained in this technique. From your set of mind, you would use it without much restraint either." The elder of the Joketsuzoku turned her back to him. "There is one thing I may teach you if you're willing to feel a lot of pain." The old woman baited as she left. Sasuke pondered on her words, if she had taught Ranma this tornado technique she may be able to teach him something interesting. His mind made up, he followed her.

At some other place, a blonde ninja was bugging his own father.

"Dad, I want to learn that technique you just did!" Naruto was enthusiastic about training, ecstatic some might even say, but Ranma was firm in his stand.

"Naruto, this technique is a Saotome clan secret." Ranma said as his single explanation.

"But I'm. . ." He stopped his phrase all of a sudden.

"Not anymore remember. You are a member of the Masabetsu Kakuto Ryu but your school isn't the Saotome school, you're not the heir to the school, you're my student in martial arts but someday you'll have your branch of the school. You have to create your own techniques or learn the ones others will teach you but this one isn't for you to learn." Ranma stated firmly. Naruto stayed stern but nodded nonetheless. He had a lot of thinking to do.

The blonde got up to leave the room they were in when Ranma called to him.

"Son! Catch!" He sent a scroll towards him. Naruto caught it with ease and stared at the worn and used scroll. "The Hokage gave it to me and said it was one of your family's technique scroll. I brought it with us in case you wanted to learn something new."

Naruto didn't say anything and got out with a large smile on his face.

Naruto locked himself in the dojo while Sakura was training with Hikari in the courtyard. Moegi and Ryoma were gone to the park with Ranko and Tori while Akane was cooking.

He reverently opened the scroll he was holding and couldn't help but imagine what his father could have looked like reading this same scroll at his age.

"Seishin no Jutsu." He read aloud as he saw the first words. The scroll was quite voluminous but it still contained only one technique written upon its surface. The basics of the technique were quite simple, it simply intended for the user to move faster than the human eye could see. It wasn't a teleportation technique in the straight sense of the term. It didn't even involve any hand seals since that would defeat the very purpose of it. It called for the highest possible form of chakra control, the ability to mould one's chakra without hand seals.

The scroll wasn't for the use of the technique but rather the series of exercises one needed to complete to be able to use the technique. Naruto immediately engraved the words in his mind and prepared for the first exercise.

Four days later, The Tendo Dojo was bustling with activity it hadn't been blessed with in many years. The whole Tendo family was there, Nabiki was constantly on her cell phone and Kasumi was trading recepies with Hikari and Nodoka while Soun was playing Shogi with Genma. Ranma was in the courtyard with Tori and Ranko, effectively correcting the mistakes in their fighting styles. Naruto was still training, perfecting the third step of his training.

The first part had actually been tree climbing and charging minute amount of chakra in the feet and legs. The second step was water walking and then the true training started. It called for Chakra to gather on one particular point of the feet, the one most difficult place to concentrate one's chakra. To train in that, Naruto was standing upon a rather pointed pole. It hurt his feet a lot since he did so without his sandals. He would know the training was perfect when he could jump in place.

Sasuke was nowhere to be found. Ranma had received a note from Khu Long saying she took over his training for a couple of days. The ninja had shrugged at that and didn't even bother to worry about what she was teaching him.

Moegi and Ryoma were taking the most profit out of the gathering by getting spoiled rotten. Akane was playing hostess for all those people but smiled anyway, It felt good for everyone to be together again.

Somewhere in a forest in the periphery of Tokyo, the sound of an explosion sounded.

"I'll have my revenge brother." The boy said as he surveyed the damage his one finger had caused, and with a little ameliorating of his technique it would be the perfect weapon, even if the woman didn't believe so.

Flashback

"The Bakusai tenketsu is made to raise your endurance to damage, the technique itself is useless against humans or organic tissue." The old woman cackled. "You'd have more chance of shattering a whole mountain than killing a man with it!"

End of flashback.

"I'll make sure to take you down. . ." The sharingan appeared on Sasuke's pupils and was gone as quickly as it had appeared. The Uchiha survivor jumped to the trees and returned towards Nerima. He was eager to practice on his new skill.

"I've never seen such potential since Ranma, but I sense there might be even more hidden inside his own pupil. Too bad the affairs of the tribe call me or I'd be tempted to follow them just for the excitement." Khu Lon stated as she started her trek back home. She wasn't getting any younger and the scenery was something worth seeing.

Once the party had settled down, both Genma and Soun being too drunk to ruin anything and Ranma having sent Happosai towards another continent. The twins approached their mother.

"Mom, we'd like to talk to you." Ranko said, Tori being too proud to admit it.

"You know you can tell me anything right?" Akane answered her daughter as she motioned for them to sit in front of her.

"It's about our father, he asked us if we wanted to go with him." Tori said abruptly.

"We've decided . . . we want to go." Ranko announced. Tori just nodded at the statement to show his approbation.

"You're sure you two?" Akane asked them. "I don't want you to think of what I want, but I want the two of you to be sure of what you're saying. This is a one way trip, Ranma told me he can't duplicate the technique once he goes back." Akane announced. The twins only nodded in acceptance. Their social lives weren't that important to them and they'd get new friends as well, if Ranma and Hikari hadn't lied, as respect for their origins. "Then I guess we could ask if we could leave a little early for their village. As you know, time passes just a little faster here than it does in their world and. . .your father tends to attract trouble. I'd like to be out of here before the worst of it comes after us."

"The way I see it, the faster we leave here, the faster we'll leave Kuno behind." Tori's tone of voice easily comparable to Ranma's own brash tone.

"We should probably leave a note to grandpa or take him with us. . ." Ranko said but shook her head. "Definitely the note, we can't very well take him along for the trip unless Grampa Genma comes as well." She said imagining the tall Tendo Patriarch crying for the loss of his best friend's company.

"They are both coming along for the trip, as well as your grandma Nodoka." Akane announced.

"The panda I can understand, but why would Grandpa Soun come as well, he's too rusty to fight for real and the only things he does nowadays is cry and play Shogi. He doesn't even train anymore." Tori announced with a raised eyebrow.

"He want's to come so he can keep his friend in line." Akane said with a roll of her eyes.

"Figures. . ." the twins said in stereo.

"So, when do we leave?" Ranko asked.

"Depends on Ranma and how much your Grandma packs." Akane informed them.

"Does it mean no more school until we leave?" Tori asked hopefully.

"No, it means triple dose of training so you're both up to speed and ready to join the genin exam's next session" Ranma announced from the doorstep. "Sorry to intrude but I needed to tell you we'll be leaving tomorow." Ranma grinned. "I don't want my mom to try and take the whole house with her so I advanced the time, pretending an important mission waiting for me."

"That's alright, the only thing we really need would be the weapons and the shrine from the dojo." Akane answered Ranma.

"Mom, what about clothes, food, the important things?" Ranko asked.

"Who cares about clothes, we'll hunt for food and survive as real men should!" Tori exclaimed. Ranma gave him a slap behind the head.

"You spent too much time with your grandfather." He admonished.

"More like grandma, she wouldn't let grandpa Genma take even a step too close to Tori, just in case he tried to make him sign a contract." Ranko corrected. Ranma arched an eyebrow and then shrugged.

"We'll be leaving at sunset tomorrow in the dojo. Until then it's off limits. The technique is too dangerous to be disturbed." Ranma announced as he took a scroll from his utility belt and left the room.

For the very last time, the Tendo dojo was bustling with activity as the group of dimensional travelers readied themselves for their trip. Ranma had spent the night and a good part of the following day making a scroll for their departure. The arrival of Sasuke during the night had been rather ignored as he had simply made for his bed and slept the exhaustion his body had accumulated from being pounded by a boulder dozens of times a day. People mostly ignored him the whole day anyway. His brooding nature wasn't the best way to make friends anyway.

The time to leave the vicinity of Nerima came quickly and thus, the Saotome clan disappeared from it's original dimension.

End of chapter.

There you have it folks! Chapter 10, and it took me 6 months to write. This was an hard chapter because it not only contained battles (which I have no problem writing) but it had to take them back home. Why did I even send them there? Just for the "Sasuke-chan"! I still laugh at this every once in a while! The chunin exam is next along with the sound and all that crap. We'll soon see Jiraiya and Tsunade!

As for the fic itself, I've decided that there'll be a first arc (Saotome Naruto) and that the second part of Naruto (after the Kakashi Gaiden) will be another arc in a second fic, I'll even give you the title: Masabetsu Kakuto Uzumaki Ryu.

I still have quite a ways to go until then! I'll get to writing chapter 11 now and try to have it out in a couple of weeks. . .not months this time! (Our school council made a vote for us to go on strike so I'm not impended by school work anymore)


End file.
